Department of Health and Social Care

Abortion

Sir Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many reports of serious incidents at British Pregnancy Advisory Service clinics there have been in each of the last five years.

Sir Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many women have been transferred to NHS Trusts for emergency care after attending a British Pregnancy Advisory Service clinic in each of the last five years.

Sir Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the report entitled, BPAS Merseyside, published by the Care Quality Commission in January 2017, what steps his Department taking to monitor the quality of care provided at British Pregnancy Advisory Service clinics.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Information on reports of serious incidents at British Pregnancy Advisory Service clinics and the number of women transferred to National Health Service trusts for emergency care after attending a British Pregnancy Advisory Service clinic is not reported to the Department. Serious incident notifications are sent to the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which is responsible for ensuring that requirements under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 are met by the providers of termination of pregnancy services including meeting the fundamental standards of quality and safety as set out in Part 3 to the 2014 Regulations, and Regulation 20 of the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009, which is specific to independent sector termination of pregnancy providers. In addition, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has the power to approve independent sector providers to perform termination of pregnancy. All approved clinics must agree to comply with the Secretary of State’s requirements in the form of Required Standard Operating Principles. The CQC inspection report of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) Merseyside identified a number of areas of concern regarding all areas of operation at the service. These concerns were addressed locally through a joint action plan between BPAS Merseyside, the CQC and Halton Clinical Commissioning Group. The CQC monitors the action plan through ongoing engagement with BPAS Merseyside.

Cancer

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of (a) leukaemia, (b) non-Hodgkin lymphoma, (c) Hodgkin lymphoma and (d) myeloma cases were diagnosed at each cancer stage in each of the last five years.

Steve Brine: This information is not held centrally.

Eating Disorders

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when NHS England plans to publish the outcome of its review of adult eating disorder services.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The national review of adult eating disorder services that NHS England commissioned in 2017 is now complete. Data collected on activity, investment and workforce is being reviewed with stakeholders to inform NHS England’s understanding of current provision and existing levels of parity with eating disorder services for children and young people. The data is informing modelling in support of the development of the National Health Service’s long term plan, which will be launched soon. Any plans for publication of the NHS benchmarking data will be determined in due course.

NHS Property Board

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the annual cost of the NHS Property Board.

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the NHS Property Board receives funding from non-departmental sources.

Stephen Hammond: Chaired by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Lord O’Shaughnessy), the NHS Property Board brings together senior representatives from the Department, NHS England, NHS Improvement, wider government, Community Health Partnerships and NHS Property Services to provide leadership and strategic direction for the system on estates matters. The NHS Property Board operates using existing resources; no additional funding has been allocated. The Board does not receive funding from non-Departmental sources.

World Conference on Tobacco or Health

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what initiatives the NHS has undertaken as a result of the March 2018 World Conference on Tobacco or Health.

Steve Brine: We are not aware of any local initiatives launched in the National Health Service as a direct result of the 2018 World Conference on Tobacco or Health. As with previous World Conferences, the United Kingdom Government attended the 2018 World Conference to share our experiences as a world leader on tobacco control, and to inform our thinking on future policy development. NHS England has a number of commitments to tackle smoking, as set out in the 2017 Tobacco Control Plan and associated Delivery Plan.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he has taken to ensure that children and young people have access to adequate mental health treatment.

Jackie Doyle-Price: This Government is committed to ensuring that children have access to high quality mental health support. We have made an additional £1.4 billion available over the course of 2015/16-2020/21 to transform services and ensure access to specialist mental health services for an additional 70,000 children and young people a year by 2020/21. We have also introduced two waiting time standards for children and young people. The first aims for 95% of children, up to 19 years old, with eating disorders to receive treatment within a week for urgent cases, and four weeks for routine cases, by 2020. The second is that 50% of patients (of all ages) experiencing a first episode of psychosis receive treatment within two weeks of referral. We are currently exceeding or on track to meet these waiting time standards. The Green Paper, ‘Transforming children and young people’s mental health provision’, published by the Department for Health and Social Care and the Department for Education, announced creation of new Mental Health Support Teams. These teams will deliver mental health interventions for those with mild to moderate needs in or close to schools and colleges, and refer those with more severe needs on to specialist services. The Green Paper also announced the piloting of a four week waiting time to improve access to National Health Service mental health services, which we will roll out in a number of trailblazer areas alongside the support teams.

Health Services: Staff

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if the Government will publish its Health and Care Workforce Strategy at the same time as the (a) Green Paper on long-term healthcare and (b) NHS Long Term Plan.

Stephen Hammond: The long-term plan for the National Health Service is backed by a five-year budget settlement to make sure it is on a sustainable path to deliver world class care in the future. We will be increasing the NHS budget by an extra £20.5 billion a year, or £394 million a week, by 2023/24. As part of this plan, the NHS will set out how it plans to grow, support and develop its workforce. Our Green Paper on the future of adult social care will also include a strategy for its workforce.

Allergies: Medical Treatments

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 10 September 2018 to Question 170794 on Allergies: Medical Treatments, what steps have been taken to increase the supply of Epipens to the NHS.

Steve Brine: Supplies of EpiPen and other adrenaline auto-injectors are currently available with further deliveries expected in the coming weeks. All patients who require an adrenaline auto-injector should now be able to obtain a device. The Department is continuing to work very closely with all the manufacturers of adrenaline auto-injectors and the supply situation is rapidly improving. We have been working very closely with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and NHS England over the past few months to manage this supply issue and we have issued clear guidance to patients, and their parents or caregivers, to explain the issue and what they should do, if they are having difficulties in accessing a new auto-injector device.

NHS: Tax Avoidance

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 28 November 2018 to Question 193450 on NHS: Tax Avoidance, if he will publish a list of the evidence used to inform his Answer that there has been no significant impact on the National Health Service of the IR35 changes.

Stephen Hammond: HM Revenue and Customs Research Report 487 ‘Off-Payroll reform in the public sector’ published in May 2018 is the basis for the figures quoted in the answer to Question 183335: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/704931/Off-Payroll_Reform_in_the_Public_Sector.pdf Although this report is not National Health Service specific it covered the “key sectors of Public Administration & Defence, Education and Health & Social work”. As previously advised, the outcomes from this report were that there had not been a significant impact on the public sector of the IR35 changes. In addition to this, NHS Improvement has confirmed that through discussions they have held with key stakeholders within the sector there is no evidence of these changes having a significant detrimental effect on their ability to recruit temporary workers. NHS Improvement continuously monitors the levels of staffing in National Health Service trusts to ensure they are able to prioritise patient care.

Health Professions: Training

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will make Autism and Learning Disability Training mandatory for all healthcare professionals.

Caroline Dinenage: We will formally consult in the new year on options for introducing mandatory learning disability and autism training for health and care staff to improve awareness and understanding of people’s needs. The consultation will enable the public and stakeholders to share their views on how we might best accomplish this.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people have faced charges as a result of claiming for free prescriptions to which they were not entitled; and how much money has been accrued to the public purse as a result of those charges.

Steve Brine: Information provided by the NHS Business Services Authority (BSA) on the number of penalty charge notices (PCNs) issued in England and the value recovered, in each calendar year since 2014 is provided in the following table: YearTotal PCNs issuedValue recovered (£)201435,812525,666.432015408,4777,311,485.002016864,36013,832,273.2520171,052,41918,239,279.2520181,285,48820,787,780.69 Notes:NHS BSA assumed responsibility for the Prescription Exemption Checking Service in September 2014, so no data is held prior to this.The 2018 data range is from 1 January to 30 November 2018.Cleansing of PCN data is responsible for minor variation from previously published figures.Value recovered data can change over time.

Alcoholic Drinks: Scotland

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether Public Health England's assessment of minimum unit pricing's effectiveness in Scotland will include the effect on the number of assaults on emergency service workers.

Steve Brine: The scope of Public Health England’s assessment has yet to be determined.

Diabetes

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether there are plans to enable clinical commissioning groups to limit the number of people with diabetes whom they prescribe to.

Steve Brine: Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) have a statutory responsibility to provide services that meet the needs of local populations. If there is evidence of CCGs limiting prescriptions, and therefore rationing care, the Department expects NHS England to ensure the CCG is not breaching this statutory duty. Treatment and prescribing decisions should always be made by clinicians based on patients’ clinical needs. It is a matter for NHS England, working in partnership with NHS Clinical Commissioners, to support CCGs to use their prescribing resources effectively and deliver best patient outcomes from the medicines that their local population uses.

Allied Healthcare

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many packages of domiciliary care are provided by Allied Healthcare to self-funders of social care.

Caroline Dinenage: The Department does not hold this information centrally.

UK Rare Disease Policy Board

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, who the Northern Ireland representative is on the UK rare diseases policy board under the European Reference Networks.

Steve Brine: The full membership of the UK Rare Diseases Policy Board, including the Northern Ireland representative from the NI Department of Health, can be accessed on gov.uk at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/uk-rare-disease-forum#membership-of-the-uk-rare-disease-policy-board European Reference Networks (ERNs) are governed by the Board of Member States with representation from 29 European Union and European Economic Area countries. The Department represents the United Kingdom on the Board. Membership of the ERN Board of Member States can be accessed on the European Commission website at the following link: https://ec.europa.eu/health/sites/health/files/ern/docs/ern_board_members_en.pdf

Mental Illness: Community Care

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of (a) assertive outreach teams, (b) early intervention in psychosis teams and (c) crisis resolution and home treatment teams in each of the last eight years.

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds the caseload of community mental health teams in each of the last eight years.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Information on the number of assertive outreach teams is not held centrally. In order to understand the quality of Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIP) services, EIP teams undertake an audited self-assessment on an annual basis. In 2016/17 and 2017/18, 158 EIP teams took part in this audit. Information on the number of EIP teams prior to 2016/17 is not held centrally. According to surveys commissioned by Health Education England and NHS England, the number of Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment teams (CRHTTs) has risen from 185 in 2016-17 to 231 in 2017-18. The number of staff working in these teams has risen by more than 1,100 over the same time period. Information on the number of CRHTTs in operation before 2016 is not held centrally. NHS England commissioned a one-off stocktake of adult and older adult community mental health services in 2017/18. This suggested a total caseload across various community mental health services of just under 700,000 people as at 31 March 2017. This information is not available for previous years.

Cervical Cancer: Screening

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve uptake of cervical screening.

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason there has been a recent decline in the level of cervical screening attendance.

Steve Brine: NHS England has reviewed the data from 2013 showing the continuing gradual national and international decline in the five-year coverage. Assessments for the decline were done in partnership with key stakeholders Public Health England (PHE) and Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust. NHS England hosted a spotlight session in April 2016 which focussed on gaining insight into the reasons why women do or do not attend for screening. This suggested that ease of access together with attitudinal changes to informed choice, may contribute to this widespread reduction in uptake. Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust published a report in January 2018 suggesting that some young women did not attend cervical screening appointments because they were embarrassed about their body, while others did not think the test was important and were not at risk because they led healthy lifestyles. NHS England and PHE have therefore modified the commissioning levers and communication processes, for example through supporting Jo’s Trust in the Time to Screen campaign and the development of a new ‘Be Clear on Cancer’ campaign for early 2019 promoting uptake of cervical screening. NHS England has supported the Cancer Alliances who bring together local senior clinical and managerial leaders representing the whole cancer patient pathway across a specific geography, and have a general role in improving early diagnosis. In turn they have developed specific plans to improve uptake rates in screening programmes as part of that agenda with cervical screening considered a priority area. Cancer Research UK (CRUK) and Macmillan general practitioners (GPs) are also being utilised to provide awareness and training, with work and focus groups to target reducing inequalities among women over 50 and women from Eastern European countries a specific focus in one region. The role that sexual health clinics can play in providing access to screening among vulnerable women via an opportunistic offer of screening is being considered. Training of GP receptionists is underway to improve ease of access to a screening appointment, while a toolkit has been developed to reduce the inequality in uptake among women with a learning disability. In addition, NHS England recently announced that Professor Sir Mike Richards has been asked to lead a review of cancer screening programmes which will consider ways to increase uptake of cervical screening.

Cervical Cancer: Screening

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding his Department has allocated to schemes to increase cervical screening attendance in each of the last eight years.

Steve Brine: Information on how much of the money allocated from the cervical screening budget to schemes to increase cervical screening attendance is not collected centrally by NHS England. NHS England has invested over £200 million since 2016 to transform cancer services across England. Next year, Public Health England will launch a national campaign to highlight the risks of cervical cancer, encourage all women to respond to their screening invitation and to encourage women to consider booking an appointment if they have missed previous invitations.

Slaughterhouses: Closed Circuit Television

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many slaughterhouses have been deemed non-compliant as a result of not introducing CCTV into their premises by the end of November 2018; and what steps the Food Standards Agency plans to take in respect of non-compliance.

Steve Brine: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) enforces legislation for animal welfare in slaughterhouses on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in England, where CCTV legislation applies. All operating slaughterhouses in England were required to comply with the new CCTV legislation by 5 November 2018. The following table shows the status of compliance on 3 December which is the most accurate available data for the status of compliance at the end of November:  Number of slaughterhousesCompliant175Not yet fully compliant56  Total operating slaughterhouses231 Of the 56 non-compliant premises, 16 are slaughterhouses using gas stunning. Additional guidance was required on whether CCTV cameras were required inside gas stunning equipment and therefore these premises have been given until 19 December to comply. The FSA has begun enforcement action against all non-compliant slaughterhouse operators. The Agency is following its standard hierarchy of enforcement and is working with slaughterhouse operators to ensure full compliance. To date this enforcement action has involved verbal and written advice as well as formal Enforcement Notices with agreed compliance deadlines.

Gambling

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people received treatment on the NHS for gambling-related health conditions in December of each year since 2010.

Steve Brine: Information in the format requested is not available. Data on the number of finished admissions episodes (FAEs) with a primary or secondary diagnosis of pathological/compulsive gambling for the last five years is set out in the following table. This does not necessarily reflect the number of patients as people may attend on more than one occasion. YearFAEs2013-14652014-15892015-16862016-17722017-18107Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS Digital A FAE is the first period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FAEs are counted against the year or month in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the period.

Clinical Audit

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 23 July 2018 to Question 165015 on breast cancer: surgery, which clinical audit topics have (a) been selected and (b) not yet been selected by NHS England; and what the timescale is for that process.

Steve Brine: The Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership commissions, develops and manages the National Clinical Audit and Patient Outcomes Programme (NCAPOP) on behalf of NHS England. Currently, there are five cancer clinical audits including breast cancer in older people. The newly established NCAPOP partners group will look at opportunities to review the audit programme based on audit commissioning cycle opportunity and eligibility criteria related to alignment with National Health Service priorities, like the forthcoming long-term plan for the NHS, impact, value and need. NCAPOP is made up of a rolling programme of audits commissioned at different times on a 3-5 year basis.

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 03 December 2018 to Question 196736 on Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), and with reference to the transition period set out in the Agreement on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union, if the MHRA will be recognised as an EU competent authority under the EU (a) Medical Devices Directive, (b) in-vitro diagnostic medical devices, and (c) Medical Devices Regulation during the period covered by the Agreement.

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 03 December 2018 to Question 196736 on Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), whether the Department's response refers to (a) UK notified bodies licensed by the MHRA and (b) UK notified bodies that have also secured notified body status in other EU states.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The agreement of an implementation period will mean that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) will continue to be recognised as a European Union competent authority designated under the EU Directives for medical devices, in vitro diagnostic medical devices and active implantable medical devices, during this period. This is also the case for the new EU Regulations for medical devices and in vitro diagnostic medical devices, which both entered into force in May 2017. It is possible for a single organisation to have individual notified bodies designated in more than one Member State. The authority within each Member State is responsible for notified bodies based in its own country. The MHRA is responsible for the designation and monitoring of notified bodies in the United Kingdom, which the response to Question 196736 refers to.

Babylon Health

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many contracts his Department has signed with Babylon Healthcare.

Stephen Hammond: The Department does not hold any contracts with Babylon Healthcare Ltd.

Patients: Suicide

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number suicides by patients in the care of the NHS in 2017.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Data on the number of suicides of patients under the care of the National Health Service is not centrally held. However, the National Quality Improvement Board commissions the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Safety in Mental Health which provides data on suicides by people in contact with mental health services prior to their death. The latest report estimates that, in 2016, the most recent year available, there were 1,267 suicides by people who were in contact with mental health services in the 12 months prior to death. The report is available at the following link: https://www.hqip.org.uk/resource/national-confidential-inquiry-into-suicide-and-safety-annual-report-2018/

Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of cases related to EHIC fraud that were (a) investigated, (b) determined to be a probable case of fraud and (c) determined to be a case of fraud by the NHS Counter Fraud Authority in each year since 2015.

Stephen Hammond: The following table shows the number of European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) fraud case referrals investigated to determine whether a potential fraud has occurred and the number of these referrals determined to be potential fraud cases.YearEHIC fraud care referralsReferrals determined to be potential fraud cases2015-16902016-17802017-182632018-19110 These activities are undertaken by the Department’s Anti-Fraud Unit, rather than the NHS Counter Fraud Authority. This is because payments relating to EHIC are paid by the Department not the National Health Service.

Cervical Cancer: Screening

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support his Department provides to women who are survivors of sexual violence to access cervical screening.

Steve Brine: The NHS Cervical Screening programme encourages practices to be sympathetic and supportive to all women going through the procedure, in order to make it as comfortable as possible. All women undertaking their screening test have the support of a chaperone available. A female general practitioner/ nurse also undertakes the screening test. In addition, the NHS Cervical Screening Programme’s sample taker training guidance covers various barriers which sample takers should be considerate of, this includes guidance on women with fears of cervical screening following a history of sexual assault or rape. The guidance can be viewed at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/cervical-screening-education-and-training The Department has have been working with NHS England to develop a five-year Sexual Assault and Abuse Strategy, which aspires to ensure victims receive joined-up pathways of care over the course of their life time whenever they need it – this was published in April 2018. It will develop and improve integrated pathways of care for people that have experienced sexual assault and abuse.

Malnutrition

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) children, (b) adults up to the age of 65 and (c) adults over the age of 65 are in hospital with malnutrition.

Steve Brine: NHS Digital has provided a count of finished admission episodes (FAE)1 with a primary diagnosis2 of malnutrition3, broken down by age bands for the financial year 2017-184. This information is provided in the following table. Activity in English National Health Service Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sectorAgeFAEs0-165117-6546166-120288Unknown19Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), NHS Digital Notes: 1A finished admission episode (FAE) is the first period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FAEs are counted against the year or month in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the period. 2The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 diagnosis fields in the HES data set and provides the main reason why the patient was admitted to hospital. 3ICD10 Clinical codes"ICD10 Codes used:MalnutritionE40 KwashiorkorE41 Nutritional marasmusE42 Marasmic kwashiorkorE43 Unspecified severe protein-energy malnutritionE44 Protein-energy malnutrition of moderate and mild degreeE45 Retarded development following protein-energy malnutritionE46 Unspecified protein-energy malnutritionO25 Malnutrition in pregnancy The presence of an ICD-10 code of malnutrition on the admission episode indicates that the patient was diagnosed with, and would therefore being treated for malnutrition during the episode of care. The cause of malnutrition is not presented here but may be due to dietary issues, an inability to absorb nutrients normally or another disease affecting the patient’s ability to feed normally." 4HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage (particularly in earlier years), improvements in coverage of independent sector activity (particularly from 2006-07) and changes in NHS practice. For example, apparent reductions in activity may be due to a number of procedures which may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and so no longer include in admitted patient HES data. Conversely, apparent increases in activity may be due to improved recording of diagnosis or procedure information. It should be noted that Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) include activity ending in the year in question and run from April to March, e.g. 2015-16 includes activity ending between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2016.

Health Services: Learning Disability

Melanie Onn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people with learning difficulties are not discriminated against when receiving medical care.

Melanie Onn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to ensure that people with learning difficulties are adequately supported to receive medical treatment through the NHS.

Caroline Dinenage: It is the responsibility of local providers and commissioners of NHS services to make the reasonable adjustments required by the Equality Act 2010 to ensure that disabled people, including those with learning disabilities, are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled people. Additionally, under the NHS Constitution, National Health Service organisations are required to provide high quality comprehensive services, based on clinical need, which do not discriminate between patients on the basis of disability, including a learning disability. NHS Improvement has published Learning Disability Improvement Standards for NHS trusts in England to help ensure that trusts monitor and review the care they provide to people with a learning disability or autism. Compliance with these standards will ensure that trusts assure themselves that they have the necessary structures, processes, workforce and skills to deliver the outcomes that people with learning disabilities and autism expect. The Care Quality Commission is working with NHS Improvement to consider how they can encourage trusts to adopt and work to the standards.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of people who have faced charges as a result of claiming for free prescriptions to which they were not entitled to were on universal credit or any other form of welfare payment in each year for which information is available.

Steve Brine: The NHS Business Services Authority (NHS BSA) delivers the Prescription Exemption Checking Service and first began prescription exemption checks relating to Department for Work and Pensions benefits in June 2017. The NHS BSA reports that it issued a total of 1,863,098 prescription penalty charge notices between 4 June 2017 and 30 November 2018. Of these 508,830 went to people who ticked an exemption box relating to a Department for Work and Pensions benefit.

Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2018 to Question 197312 on Out of Area Treatment: Northern Ireland, what assent has been given to the Government by each EU Member State on entering into reciprocal agreements with individual EU Member States to ensure the maintenance of (a) healthcare for (i) pensioners, (ii) workers, (iii) students, (iv) tourists and (v) other visitors, (b) the European Health Insurance Card scheme and (c) planned treatment.

Stephen Hammond: The agreement we have reached with the European Union is that during the implementation period all reciprocal healthcare rights will continue and there will be no changes to healthcare for pensioners, workers, students, tourists and other visitors, the European Health Insurance Card scheme, or planned treatment. The Healthcare (International Arrangements) Bill will then allow us to implement a deal regarding our future healthcare relationship with the EU. A deal remains in the best interests of the United Kingdom. However, as a responsible Government we are planning for all outcomes. Our offer to all Member States is to maintain reciprocal healthcare arrangements bilaterally in a no deal, including for pensioners, workers, students, tourists and other visitors and others along with the current administrative arrangements including reimbursement of healthcare costs, for a transitional period lasting no less than the Implementation Period (i.e. 31 December 2020). Talks with Ireland on the Common Travel Area are progressing well on ensuring that UK and Irish people can easily obtain healthcare when they live in, work in or visit the UK and Ireland.

Prime Minister

USA: Brexit

Keith Vaz: To ask the Prime Minister, when she last discussed the UK leaving the EU with President Trump.

Mrs Theresa May: I refer the Rt Hon. Gentleman to the Oral Statement I gave to the House on 3 December 2018 on the 2018 G20 Summit, Official Report, Column 533

Prime Minister: Government Chief Scientific Adviser

Norman Lamb: To ask the Prime Minister, how many meetings she had with the Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser between 1 September and 30 November 2018.

Mrs Theresa May: I have regular meetings with ministerial colleagues, officials and others

Department for Work and Pensions

Social Security Benefits

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of working people in receipt of top up benefits are resident in (a) Ashfield constituency, (b) in each region of the UK and (c) in the UK.

Alok Sharma: Holding answer received on 01 November 2018



The numbers of in work families receiving tax credits are in table 1.1 of the Child and Working Tax Credits statistics: finalised annual awards - 2016 to 2017 published by HMRC can be accessed at:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/720570/Main_publication_-_final_tables.xlsx Geographical breakdowns including constituency level figures are available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/720739/Main_geographical_-_final_tables.xlsx Universal Credit and Housing Benefit statistics for Great Britain are regularly published and the latest statistics for September 2018 and May 2018 respectively can be accessed at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk Guidance for users is available at:https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html The information available for the number of employed individuals that are in receipt of Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance in May 2018 in geographical areas of Great Britain can be found in the following table.



Working people in receipt of IS, JSA or ESA 
(Word Document, 18.25 KB)

Universal Credit

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what representations she has received from (a) trades union and (b) the Trade Union Congress in relation to the managed migration of universal credit.

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will publish the meetings held by her Department (a) trades unions and (b) the Trade Union Congress on the managed migration of universal credit in 2018; and if she will make a statement.

Alok Sharma: Holding answer received on 12 November 2018



No meetings have been held by DWP with trade unions or the Trade Union Congress regarding Managed Migration specifically. However, the Trade Union Congress and some individual trade unions responded to the Social Security Advisory Committee report on the draft Universal Credit Managed Migration Regulations 2018, published on 5 November 2018 which can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/draft-universal-credit-managed-migration-regulations-2018-ssac-report-and-government-statement

Universal Credit

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what her policy is on provision of Departmental guidance and information to those subject to universal credit migration.

Alok Sharma: The Department is committed to delivering managed migration in a way that supports all claimants as they transition onto Universal Credit. Managed migration will begin with a lengthy and robust testing period, to ensure our processes are working well before we begin to migrate at scale. In the first year we will only managed migrate 10,000 people to ensure we are moving people as carefully and sensitively as possible. We recognise that providing high-quality and timely communications will be essential to ensure that all claimants are fully aware of their responsibilities under the managed migration process. We are working closely with a large and diverse number of stakeholders to co-design the managed migration process which includes considering how we can best communicate with and support claimants through the process, to ensure a smooth transition onto Universal Credit. As part of this testing phase, we will be trialling a variety of communication methods and will engage with claimants’ representatives so we can be confident that the process will work for all claimants. Information will continue to be made available about Universal Credit for all claimants at https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit.

Department for Work and Pensions: Email

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether claimants are given the option of receiving all correspondence from her Department via email if they have provided their email address.

Justin Tomlinson: Claimants who have a valid reasonable adjustment in place are permitted to receive correspondence from the Department by email should they request it. Claimants who do not have a reasonable adjustment in place are not permitted to receive correspondence from the Department by email as email is not classed as secure and there is an increased risk of data loss which could have a negative impact on both the individual and the Department. Email must be used as a reasonable adjustment where it is requested by an individual disabled citizen who finds it difficult or impossible to communicate via other channels. Requesting communications via email must be for a valid reason which relates to the individual’s disability. Once email as a reasonable adjustment has been agreed the customer will be advised of the risks of data travelling over the unsecure network and being seen by 3rd parties via the confirmation email ‘disclaimer’ they receive.

Post Office Card Account

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) disabled social security recipients and (b) pension recipients have their payments made into a Post Office account.

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants of (a) disability benefits and (b) the state pension have their benefits paid into a Post Office Card Account.

Guy Opperman: The Department for Work and Pensions provides Post Office card accounts to ensure that customers can continue to access their benefits and pensions in this way. As of October 2018 there were just under 1.2m active Post Office card accounts. In line with our wider policy on financial inclusion, we have always made it clear that payment into a bank, building society or credit union is the preferred way for all benefits to be paid. The information requested about the number of disabled social security and pension recipients is not available.

Sign Language

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her Department's response to the consultation entitled, Market review of British Sign Language and communications provision for people who are deaf or have hearing loss, published in July 2017, what steps her Department has taken to fill the evidence gaps identified by respondents.

Sarah Newton: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Sign Language: Public Sector

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her Department's response to the consultation entitled, Market review of British Sign Language and communications provision for people who are deaf or have hearing loss, published in July 2017,  what steps her Department has taken to improve the commissioning of British Sign Language interpretation by the public sector.

Sarah Newton: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Sign Language

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her Department's response to the consultation entitled, Market review of British Sign Language and communications provision for people who are deaf or have hearing loss, published in July 2017, what steps her Department has taken to increase the number of fully qualified and registered British Sign Language interpreters.

Sarah Newton: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Social Security Benefits: EU Nationals

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of widening the entitlement to UK welfare payments for EU citizens fleeing domestic violence in the UK.

Alok Sharma: This Government is committed to tackling violence against all people, including domestic abuse which shatters the lives of victims and families. EU citizens are permitted to claim income-related benefits if they are legally and habitually resident in the UK and satisfy the eligibility conditions. The Government’s consultation, ‘Transforming the Response to Domestic Abuse’, which ended in May 2018, sought views on protection and support for victims of domestic abuse, including those with no recourse to public funds. The Home Office is currently analysing the consultation responses and will publish the Government’s response in due course.

Social Security Benefits: Disqualification

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 28 November 2018 to Question 193447 on Social Security Benefits: Disqualification, if she will review the (a) purpose, (b) merits and (c) economic and health effects of sanctioning social security claimants in receipt of universal credit.

Alok Sharma: In October this year, the Work and Pensions Select Committee set out recommendations relating to the economic and health effects of sanctions, which the Department is considering and will be responding to in due course. Sanctions are only used in a small percentage of cases, and that is when people fail to meet their agreed commitments without good reason. Latest data, published 12 November in the Benefit Sanction Statistics, shows that in August 2018, 2.9% of people subject to conditionality on Universal Credit had a deduction taken from their benefit award as a result of a sanction. When considering whether a sanction is appropriate, a Decision Maker will take all the claimant’s individual circumstances, including any health conditions or disabilities and any evidence of good cause, into account before deciding whether a sanction is warranted.

Child Support: Scotland

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much child support arrears are concerned in (a) Motherwell and Wishaw, (b) North Lanarkshire Westminster Parliamentary constituencies, and (c) Scotland, under the Child Support (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2018.

Justin Tomlinson: As of June 2018 (most recent published regional data, rounded to nearest thousand), there were the following amounts of unpaid maintenance from Child Support Agency cases: (a) Motherwell and Wishaw parliamentary constituency - £4,034,000 of child support arrears (b) North Lanarkshire Local Authority - £17,366,000 of child support arrears (c) Scotland - £ 225,269,000 of child support arrears Figures for b and c are published in the regional tables of the Child Support Agency Quarterly Summary of Statistics https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/child-support-agency-quarterly-summary-of-statistics-june-2018 These amounts include all Child Support Agency cases with arrears. This includes cases where recent payments have been made and those where there has been no payment made within the last 3 months. The vast majority of these cases have received no recent payment, and it is only these cases that will be addressed under the Child Support (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2018.

Department for Work and Pensions: Training

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has contracts with external companies to train Departmental staff delivering the Universal Credit programme.

Alok Sharma: The department does not have contracts with external companies to train staff who are delivering Universal Credit. Work Coaches and other staff delivering Universal Credit undergo comprehensive training designed to equip them with the tools, skills and behaviours required to provide a high quality service to all claimants. Specific training and guidance is provided for working with different vulnerable groups and those with complex needs.

Department for Work and Pensions: Telephone Services

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has contracts with external companies to provide call centre staff to advise social security claimants who contact DWP helplines.

Justin Tomlinson: The department has several contracts with external companies to answer calls from social security claimants across a range of DWP helplines. Details as follows: SupplierContractBrief Description SercoPIPFor customers wishing to make a claim for PIP  UCFor customers requiring an appointment for their UC claim Warm Home DiscountFor Pension Credit customers requiring help with fuel bills Package BCarers Allowance – for customers wanting a claim packDLA/AA – for customers wanting a claim packNational Benefit Fraud Helpline – taking details from citizens wanting to report suspected fraud activityNINO appointments - making an appointment for NINO applicantsJobcentre Enquiry Line – for customers wishing to contact a Jobcentre Support for Mortgage InterestFor customers requiring an Informed Discussion about help with mortgage interest G4SCMG OptionsFor separating parents requiring advice about maintenance options  Package APension Credit claims – for customers wishing to claim Pension CreditPension Credit Enquiries – for customers enquiring about their Pension Credit claimState Pension Enquiries – for customers enquiring about their State Pension claimWinter Fuel Enquiry Line – for customers enquiring about Winter Fuel paymentsJobseekers Allowance (JSA) New Claims – for customers wishing to claim JSAJobseekers Allowance Online (JSAOL) – appointment booking for customers applying for JSA online TeleperformancePension WiseFirst point of contact for customers requiring a Pension Wise appointment

Universal Credit

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the effect of the introduction of universal credit on the level of claimants’ rent arrears in the (a) private rented and (b) social rented sector.

Justin Tomlinson: I refer the hon Member to the reply to Question 181577 on 29 October.

Universal Credit: Sheffield

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the commencement of universal credit in the Sheffield Woodhouse Jobcentre Plus area on 12 December 2018, if she will guarantee that new claims for that benefit will be paid before Christmas 2018.

Alok Sharma: The Department has extensive experience of paying claimants over holiday periods. We have also rolled out and paid Universal Credit to significant numbers of claimants over previous Christmas periods. All new claimants to Universal Credit have always been able to apply for a Universal Credit Advance in their first month if they need some financial support until the first regular payment of Universal Credit is made. This is up to 100% of the indicative award available and can be repaid over 12 months. We also provide an additional payment of 2 weeks of Housing Benefit to support claimants when they transition to Universal Credit.

Universal Credit: Sheffield

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has plans to create a universal credit service centre in Sheffield.

Alok Sharma: Every Universal Credit claimant in Sheffield has a dedicated case manager based in the Universal Credit Service Centre in Makerfield. There are currently no plans to create a new Universal Credit Service Centre in Sheffield

Universal Credit: Sheffield

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average waiting time is for an initial information-gathering interview at the Cavendish Court Job Centre Sheffield; and whether that waiting time has an effect on the time taken to pay universal credit.

Alok Sharma: Not all claimants will require any initial evidence interview at the start of their Universal Credit claim. If an interview is required, claimants will receive notification to book an interview via their online Universal Credit account at the start of their claim and are encouraged to make contact at the earliest opportunity. In addition, a further prompt will be sent after 7 days if no interview has been booked. Cavendish Court Jobcentre went live with Universal Credit full service on 7 November. The average waiting period at Cavendish Court Jobcentre for initial interview (working days) was as follows: W/E 16/11 – 3 daysW/E 23/11 – 5 daysW/E 30/11 – 2 days For comparison, the average waiting period within the District of South Yorkshire for initial interview (working days) was as follows: W/E 16/11 – 3 daysW/E 23/11 – 3 daysW/E 30/11 – 2 days  We strive to deliver a quick and effective service to all claimants. Claimants have 30 days in which to make contact to book an initial interview. The closer the date of the initial interview is to the end of the 30 day period could potentially impact on the date a first payment is made. In many cases where full payment is not made on time, it is due to unresolved issues such as claimants not accepting their Claimant Commitment or passing identity checks, satisfying the Habitual Residency Test, or having outstanding verification issues, such as housing costs and self-employed earnings.

Jobcentres: Sheffield

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the total (a) cost of (i) redundancy payments, (ii) transfers for staff at the Eastern Avenue Jobcentre Plus site, (iii) travel for those staff and (iv) the alteration work required to the Cavendish Court site and (b) potential proceeds of the sale of the Eastern Avenue Jobcentre Plus site.

Alok Sharma: The business case for the merger of Eastern Avenue Jobcentre into Cavendish Court Jobcentre considered the estimated costs of redundancies, excess fares for staff and building work at Cavendish Court Jobcentre. DWP did not own Eastern Avenue Jobcentre and its future is a matter for the landlord.

Home Office

Police Community Support Officers

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the effect of trends in the level of Police Community Support Officers on incidences of crime in (a) Lewisham constituency, (b) London and (c) the UK in each year since 2010.

Mr Nick Hurd: I have engaged with every police force in England and Wales to better un-derstand the changing demands on policing, and how these can best be managed. We recognise that the police are seeing increased demands as more complex crime is being reported. We helped the police to respond with a £460m increase in overall police funding in 2018/19, including increased funding for local policing through Council Tax precept.We are reviewing police funding power ahead of announcing the 2019/20 police funding settlement. Forces are changing how they deliver local policing to reflect the priorities of local people and so that they can better respond to the changing crime mix.Effective community engagement and intelligence gathering takes more than just a visible police presence. Prevention, partnership working, problem-solving and safeguarding the vulnerable remain key. Ultimately decisions on the composition of the local workforce including PCSOs are for Chief Constables and democratically accountable Police and Crime Commissioners.

Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many migrants were rescued from the English Channel in (a) 2017 and (b) for each month this year; and what the nationality was of those migrants.

Caroline Nokes: Border Force does not routinely publish this level of data. All our transparency data can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/border-force-transparency-data-november-2018

Immigrants: EEA Nationals and EU Nationals

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what procedures his Department have established to ensure the accurate calculation of the length of time that (a) non-UK EU and (b) EEA nationals have continuously and lawfully lived in the UK.

Caroline Nokes: It is not necessary for EU citizens applying for UK immigration status under the EU Settlement Scheme to demonstrate the exact length of time that they have continuously lived in the UK. The Home Office simply needs to establish whether they have continuously lived in the UK for more or less than five years in order to grant settled or pre-settled status accordingly.In most cases we can do this via automated checks on tax and benefits records, with an opportunity for applicants to provide additional documen-tary evidence as necessary. In these cases we will work with applicants to help them identify the most suitable evidence and, as outlined in the pub-lished caseworker guidance, will accept a wide range of documentation

Home Office: Written Questions

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2018 to Question 196128 on Overseas Visitors: Visas, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of providing a substantive answer to that question.

Caroline Nokes: The government publishes the threshold which would need to be crossed in order for a written question to be responded to with a disproportionate cost response.This is currently set at £850. Whilst we are not able to provide the exact amount it would cost to answer your question in full, we estimate it would be over this amount as it would require a manual search of a large number of individual records.

Immigrants: EU Nationals

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason the privacy policy of EU Exit: ID Document Check application requires a user to agree to their information being shared with other public and private sector organisations in the UK and overseas; whether that information includes an applicant's identity documents; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Nokes: The privacy notice as referenced in the EU Exit: ID Document Check app is for the whole of the Border, Immigration and Citizenship System. It applies to all personal information gathered for the purposes of entering or leaving the UK, securing the border, making an application for a visa, leave, settlement, citizenship or other immigration service, claiming asylum or other form of protection, or gathered as part of the process of securing the border or enforcing immigration laws will be held and processed by the Home Office.The Home Office collects and processes personal information to fulfil its legal and official functions. We are only allowed to use, gather and share personal information where we have an appropriate legal basis to do so under the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) or the Data Protection Act 2018. The legal basis for the processing of data will, in most cases, be Article 6(1)(e) of the (GDPR) – that is, that the processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller.Further information on this is set out in the Borders, Immigration and Citizenship privacy information notice: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-information-use-in-borders-immigration-and-citizenship/borders-immigration-and-citizenship-privacy-information-notice.This link is included in the privacy policy text in the app

Immigrants: EU Nationals

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Prime Minister’s statement on the EU negotiations on 21 September 2018, whether people who derive residency rights (a) as (i) a Chen carer (ii) an Ibrahim child (iii) a Teixeira child (iv) an Ibrahim carer (v) a Teixeira carer and (b) under the Surinder Singh route will have their rights protected in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Caroline Nokes: The Government does not want or expect a no deal outcome, and we have now reached an agreement, in principle, with the European Union.The Withdrawal Agreement protects individuals currently resident under the Chen and Ibrahim and Teixeira principles. We have committed that provision will be made in the Immigration Rules for them to apply for leave to remain.The Government has confirmed that in a deal scenario those here under the Surinder Singh provisions will be eligible to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme, even though they are not protected under the Withdrawal Agreement. Further details on the provisions for these groups in the unlikely event of no deal will be provided in due course.

Human Trafficking: Victim Support Schemes

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer on 3 December 2018 to Question 196808 on Human Trafficking: Victim Support Schemes, if he will conduct a public consultation on the adequacy of guidance to be issued under Section 49 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

Victoria Atkins: The Government recognises the importance of publishing guidance under Section 49 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 on the identification of and sup-port for potential victims of modern slavery.There is no duty to consult on the s49 statutory guidance, and as such, there are no plans for a public consultation at this time. However, the Home Office began working closely with stakeholders across the sector to draft guidance shortly after commencement of the Act. This work was paused to accommo-date changes to identification and support as part of the reforms to the Na-tional Referral Mechanism. Work on the guidance has resumed and we will publish it as soon as we are able.

Bail

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of pre-charge bail applications had restrictions imposed in the 12 months (a) prior to and (b) since 3 April 2017.

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of pre-charge bail restrictions imposed related to driving bans on the grounds of (a) alcohol consumed and (b) drugs consumed in each of the last three years.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Home Office does not centrally hold the information requested.From April 2017 the Home Office requested information on a voluntary basis from police forces on the number of individuals released on pre-charge bail following arrest, broken down by bail length.This data collection has been published (as an Annex) within the ‘Police powers and procedures, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, based on data received from 17 forces for the 2017/18 financial period. These figures give an indicative picture only and should be treated with caution – they have been designated as ‘Experimental Statistics’, to acknowledge further development will take place in the future. These can be accessed here:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-wales-year-ending-31-march-2018Data on the number of individuals released on pre-charge bail following arrest, broken down by bail length, are requested on a mandatory basis from April 2018, which will be published in the next instalment of the ‘Police powers and procedures, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, scheduled for release in Autumn 2019.Information on the number/proportion of persons released on pre-charge bail with restrictions are not collected, nor are information on specific details of pre-charge bail restrictions, and these will not be covered in the statistics.

Fires: Solar Power

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2018 to Question 196693 on Fires: Solar Power, what processes are in place to ensure that local fire and rescue services are made aware of relevant reports and are able to determine whether they wish to consider and implement report recommendations.

Mr Nick Hurd: It is for individual fire and rescue authorities to ensure they have access to up to date information to inform their procedures and policies.The National Operational Guidance Programme consisting of London Fire Brigade, the National Fire Chiefs Council and the Local Government Association, makes available operational guidance to local fire and rescue services and any decisions on amendments to guidance rests with them.

Borders: France

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) funding and (b) staffing his Department has provided to the French Government for the purposes of border security in each year since 2015.

Caroline Nokes: The UK and France have for many years maintained close cooperation at our shared border and have worked to uphold high security standards. The UK has committed various funding packages to uphold these standards and support France in responding to the migration crisis. In 2015, both countries signed a Joint Declaration which committed £10 million towards security reviews of the juxtaposed controls and to moving migrants into reception centres across France. This was followed by payments in 2016 (£17 million) and 2017 (£36 million) to further strengthen the border and maintain the operation of the juxtaposed controls.Most recently, in January 2018 both countries signed the Sandhurst Treaty, which demonstrates our ongoing commitment to prevent irregular migration and to the continued operation of the juxtaposed controls. As part of this package, a commitment of €50 million was made to joint work with France, of which a significant portion has been dedicated to improving border security infrastructure.

Crime: Computers

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has made any assessment of the effect on the international competitiveness of UK companies as a result of the Computer Misuse Act 1990.

Mr Ben Wallace: The Home Office keeps the Computer Misuse Act (CMA) under regular re-view. No estimate has been made of the size of the impact of the Computer Misuse Act (if any) on the competitiveness of UK businesses.

Crime: Social Media

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 14 November 2018 to Question 189531 on Crime: Social Media, whether he has plans to widen membership of his Department's social media action group; and what the criteria are for joining that group.

Victoria Atkins: We have no plans at present to widen membership of the Social Media Action Group. The Group was established by the Home Office in April 2018 to help action to be taken against gang and violent content online by bringing together social media companies, key voluntary sector partners, the police, and government.However, depending on the agenda and discussion and action being taken, we are willing to invite different organisation or groups to its meetings if they can make a contribution.

Drugs: Crime

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 5 November 2018 to Question 185472 on Drugs: crime, whether he has plans to gather specific information on children under 10 years of age involved in county lines.

Victoria Atkins: We have no specific plans to collect information on under 10s.However, the criminal exploitation of children in county lines drugs dealing is of significant concern to us. We have supported the formation of the National County Lines Co-ordination Centre to provide a greater law enforcement focus on county lines. We also keep the situation under regular review through the annual reports on county lines that we commission from the National Crime Agency. The next report will be published shortly.

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Assembly: Elections

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what criteria she will use in deciding to call a Northern Ireland Assembly election; and if she will make a statement.

John Penrose: The basis on which the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland shall set a date for the election is set out in the Northern Ireland Act 1998. As the Secretary of State has said, we do not believe that holding an election during this time of significant change and political uncertainty would be helpful or would increase the prospects of restoring the Executive. That is why the NI (Executive Formation and Exercise of Functions) Act provides for a limited period during which there is no legal requirement to call a further election and during which an Executive may be formed at any time. This will provide the time and space needed to work with the parties towards a further phase of talks to restore the Executive.

Treasury

Taxation: Self-assessment

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how may backlog tax returns are waiting to be processed HMRC.

Mel Stride: As of 2 December there were 45,000 online returns and 163,000 paper returns to be processed, of which 120,000 have been received since the middle of October. This is in line with normal levels. HMRC remain on schedule to process these to advise customers of the tax they need to pay for the 31 January payment date.

LGBT People

Robert Halfon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much money the Government has allocated to organisations and groups supporting LGBTQ+ rights in England since 2010.

Elizabeth Truss: The UK is recognized as a world leader on LGBT rights. Sexual orientation is one of the nine characteristics protected under the Equality Act 2010, for which the Government Equalities Office (GEO) within DfID is the Government’s lead department. A wide range of government departments have spending in support of LGBT rights. For instance, in 2015, GEO ran a £2.0 million pilot fund to test approaches to effectively tackle homophobic, biphobic and transphobic (HBT) bullying in schools. Following the evaluation of the pilot, the Government is now providing £4.0 million worth of funds from 2016 to 2020 to tackle HBT bullying in schools. However, the information requested on broader funding allocations is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Debt Collection

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what guidelines his Department issues on appropriate working practices for the debt collection industry.

John Glen: Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulation of debt collection agencies (DCAs) provides strong protections for consumers. In particular, DCAs under FCA regulation have to comply with the FCA’s high-level principle to treat customers fairly, offer appropriate forbearance, and signpost individuals to free, impartial debt advice should a consumer be in default, or in arrears difficulty.

Prudential Regulation Authority: Staff

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many FTE staff were employed by the Prudential Regulation Authority in each of the last five years.

John Glen: The below figures for FTE staff employed by the Prudential Regulation Authority are published in the Bank of England’s Annual Reports and Accounts (BoE ARA) over the last five years. 2018: 1399 [Source: p138 of the BoE ARA 2017-18]2017: 1327 [Source: p99 of the BoE ARA 2016-17]2016: 1242 [Source: p100 of the BoE ARA 2016]2015: 1139 [Source: p112 of the BoE ARA 2015]2014: 953 [Source: p85 of the BoE ARA 2014} Prior to PRA de-subsidiarisation, slightly different numbers were presented in the PRA’s Annual Report and Accounts (due to the way contingent workers are defined), but the above are the most representative numbers with like-for-like comparisons year-on-year.

Payment Methods

Ged Killen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when his Department plans to publish its response to the call for evidence on cash and digital payments in the new economy that closed on 5 June 2018.

John Glen: The Call for Evidence produced a wide range of evidence, which requires thoughtful consideration. We have recently announced that the denominational mix of notes and coins would not change. Response to other matters will be made in due course.

Spirits: Excise Duties

Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a reduced rate of duty for spirits produced by smaller distillers and producers.

Robert Jenrick: Under EU law a reduced rate of spirit duty can be applied to producers who make less than 1,000 litres of product a year. The government is not minded to introduce such a relief as there is no compelling case to do so at this time given the risk of illicit production and excise duty fraud.

Alcoholic Drinks

Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many licensed stills have (a) been established and (b) ceased trading in each of the last 10 years.

Robert Jenrick: HMRC licenses the businesses who use stills for distillation rather than the stills themselves. The number of licences issued in each year was: 200820092010201120122013201420152016201792634112838344662 HMRC has no information on the number of licensed businesses that have ceased trading.

Debts: Advisory Services

Luciana Berger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the funding allocated by his Department for local authority-commissioned specialist debt advice services.

John Glen: The Government does not directly fund the provision of specialist debt advice by local authorities.Instead, the Government funds the Money Advice Service (MAS) to deliver publicly-funded debt advice, using a levy on the financial services industry.Following Peter Wyman’s independent review of the funding of debt advice published in January 2018, the Government agreed to increase debt advice funding to MAS to over £56 million this year, enough to provide help to over 530,000 people.

Taxation: Self-assessment

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent lessons his Department has learned to help increase the proportion of tax returns filed by 31 January 2019 deadline.

Mel Stride: HMRC continually uses customer insight to improve filing rates. For example, HMRC has used customer insight to deliver personalised messaging, which research has shown to have a statistically significant effect on filing rates.

National Productivity Investment Fund

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the amount of money the National Productivity Investment Fund will allocate in each of the next five years.

Robert Jenrick: The National Productivity Investment Fund (NPIF) will provide £37 billion of capital investment between 2017-18 and 2023-24 to support jobs and growth. The Chancellor has set out how over £27 billion of this funding will be allocated across housing, transport, digital infrastructure and R&D. The remaining funding will be allocated at future fiscal events. A breakdown of allocations can be found on page 54 of the Autumn Budget 2018 document: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/752202/Budget_2018_red_web.pdf

Royal Bank of Scotland

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the likelihood of recouping the cost to the public purse of the bailout of the Royal Bank of Scotland by planned sale of shares by 2023-24.

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the expected contribution to the public purse of the proposed sale of the Government's stake in RBS.

John Glen: At Budget 2018 Government announced an intention to undertake a full disposal of its Royal Bank of Scotland shareholding by 2023-24.In its Economic and Fiscal Outlook (https://cdn.obr.uk/EFO_October-2018.pdf), the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecast the total value of expected proceeds from sales of the RBS shareholding (paragraph 4.208). The OBR also estimate the gross and net cash flows of the financial sector interventions (table 4.44), noting that ‘the economic and fiscal costs of the [financial] crisis would almost certainly have been greater in the absence of these direct interventions to restore the financial system to stability’.

Offshore Trusts

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if the Government will commit to the full disclosure of the beneficiaries of offshore trusts.

John Glen: Overseas trusts that incur a UK tax consequence are already required to register full details of their beneficial ownership with HMRC, ensuring law enforcement can access this information. The Fifth EU Anti-Money Laundering Directive (5AMLD) requires an expansion of the scope of the UK’s register from ‘trusts with a tax consequence’ to all UK express trusts and non-EU trusts which acquire UK real estate or have a business relationship with a UK regulated entity. Access to this register will also be extended to firms regulated for anti-money laundering purposes, and those persons with a ‘legitimate interest’ in the information. The Government will consult on the transposition of this change in due course. 5AMLD has a transposition deadline during January 2020. This falls within the implementation period, and so the UK will transpose this Directive.

Brexit

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, which Departments will be in receipt of the additional £2 billion he announced for EU exit planning; how much each such Department will receive.

Elizabeth Truss: The Treasury is discussing EU Exit preparations for 2019/20 with departments and allocations will be announced in due course.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Television: Licensing

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport,  how many people aged between 75 and 80 would be affected if the free licence age were raised to 80.

Margot James: The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport does not hold this information. The responsibility for the over 75 licence fee concession will transfer to the BBC in 2020 and they have released a consultation paper and other papers outlining information about the impact of different options.

Technology

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment his Department has made of levels of gender diversity within the UK tech industry; and if he will make a statement.

Margot James: The UK Digital Strategy set out our commitment to enabling a more diverse digital workforce. As the digital revolution progresses, many more jobs will require digital skills and many more tech roles will be created, both in technology companies and in the general economy. We cannot afford for women, who we know only make up 19% of the tech workforce (Tech Nation Report 2018), to be excluded from or unable to progress within these roles. While there is substantial progress that still needs to be made, there are also significant initiatives aiming to solve the issue. For example, over 270 companies, from international tech giants right through to start-ups, SMEs and charities, have already signed the Tech Talent Charter (TTC) - an industry led initiative, supported by Government. The TTC gives organisations tangible actions and principles they can adopt to change their hiring and retention practices to become more gender-diverse and commits signatories to measuring the diversity profile of their UK employees and to share this data for (anonymous) collective publication in an annual report. There are also other industry-led programmes, across the tech ecosystem, doing valuable and innovative work to help make tech more diverse. These include the #SheMeansBusiness initiative (by Facebook in collaboration with Enterprise Nation and FSB); PWC’s Tech She Can charter, focused on getting more school-age girls to choose STEM subject and see a career in tech as a viable option for them; and Backstage Capital, which is an investment fund committed to investing in start-ups with diverse founders. The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) Local Digital Skills Partnership (LDSP), launched in Coventry this month, has increasing diversity built in from the start. The PWC-led Tech She Can project mentioned above has piloted their Tech We Can lesson plans in 4 schools in the Coventry area (all with very diverse and different pupil-bases), with a view to replicating and scaling the programme nationally after the pilot phase. In a similar vein, TTC has created regional ‘communities’ of tech employers to share best practice on regional diversity, with the WMCA LDSP a future regional focus for this work.

Broadband

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to prevent broadband providers that deliver their service over hybrid fibre and copper networks describing that service as superfast fibre broadband.

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Minister of State for Digital and the Creative Industries of Thursday 15 November 2018, Official Report, column 545, what assessment he has made of the accuracy of the statement that using the term fibre in advertising for part-copper broadband is misleading advertising.

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Minister of State for Digital and the Creative Industries of Thursday 15 November 2018, Official Report, column 545, what steps his Department is taking to tackle the misleading advertising of fibre broadband.

Margot James: The 2017 Digital Strategy set out that Government would work with regulators and industry to ensure that the advertising of broadband reflects the speeds that consumers can expect to receive and accurately describes the technology used. Since the Digital Strategy was published, the ASA has implemented new guidance, which states that speed claims should be based on the download speeds available to at least 50% of customers at peak time, and no longer on 'up to' speeds available to at least 10% of customers. Ofcom has also updated its Code of Practice on Broadband Speeds. The ASA also reviewed the use of the term ‘fibre’ to describe part-fibre and full-fibre broadband and concluded in November 2017 that the term 'fibre' is unlikely to mislead consumers as currently used in the advertising of part-fibre broadband services. In June, the Administrative Court granted CityFibre permission to proceed with its Judicial Review (JR) of the ASA's decision. The next stage is for the Administrative Court to make a substantive decision on the JR. The Government remains committed to working with regulators and industry to ensure that consumers receive clear, concise and accurate information in order to make informed choices about their broadband, particularly as the rollout of new technologies like full fibre broadband increases.

Broadband

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the oral contribution of 15 November 2018 of the Minister of State for Digital and the Creative Industries, Official Report, column 545, whether his Department’s forthcoming Statement of Strategic Priorities to Ofcom will include measures to deter broadband providers that deliver their service over hybrid fibre and copper networks from describing that service as superfast fibre broadband.

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Minister of State for Digital and the Creative Industries of Thursday 15 November 2018, Official Report, column 545, whether his Department’s proposed Statement of Strategic Priorities to Ofcom will include measures to tackle misleading advertising of fibre broadband.

Margot James: We are currently developing our Statement of Strategic Priorities (SSP) and will consult on it in due course.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Chief Scientific Advisers

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many meetings he had with his Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser between 1 September and 30 November 2018.

Margot James: The role of Chief Scientific Adviser was unfilled during this timeframe.

Loneliness: Departmental Responsibilities

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, which Minister of his Department is responsible for loneliness.

Mims Davies: Loneliness policy comes under the remit of the Minister for Sport and Civil Society.

Gambling: Christmas

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what additional counselling support is available for people with gambling-related problems during the Christmas period.

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he plans to make an assessment of the effect of the Christmas period on rates of (a) under-age gambling and (b) problem gambling; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Wright: The most reliable source of problem gambling rates is data collected from the Health Surveys for England and Scotland, and the Problem Gambling Survey Wales. This is collected annually, and we therefore do not hold data on the effect of Christmas on under-age or problem gambling.  The most recent report estimated the number of adult problem gamblers in Great Britain as approximately 340,000, 0.7% of the adult population. Headline rates of problem gambling has remained relatively stable at under 1% for many years. GambleAware, an independent charity, commissions treatment services, including the GamCare National Gambling Helpline and counselling services and specialist treatment delivered by the NHS National Problem Gambling Clinic and the Gordon Moody Association. The National Gambling Helpline and Netline are open all year round from 8 am to midnight, including all bank holidays. GamCare reports that numbers of calls and contacts are generally low during the festive period, with an increase in the first two weeks of January, in line with experience in other types of support services. The Review of Gambling Machines and Social Responsibility Measures, published in May, set out measures to prevent and reduce harm from gambling, including strengthening existing protections across gaming machines, online gambling and gambling advertising. It also set out initiatives to improve for treatment and support for those who experience harm, including expanding access to existing services, strengthening the voluntary system for funding and building evidence of what treatment is most effective.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Brexit

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 22 November 2018 to Question 194759 on Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Brexit and the Answer of 19 November 2018 to Question 190945 on Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Brexit, for what reason his Department is unable to provide that information.

Richard Harrington: Holding answer received on 03 December 2018



The Department does not hold this information centrally, and providing this information would incur disproportionate cost. This represents the estimated cost of one person spending 3.5 working days in determining whether the Department holds the information, including locating, retrieving and extracting this. The Act provides that we are not obliged to comply with requests where the estimated cost of complying would exceed this limit.Due to the breadth and nature of your request, we estimate that meeting the request could not be done within the appropriate time limit set out by the Act.

Energy Performance Certificates

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on homeowners of energy efficiency measures required to obtain EPC band C; and if he will make a statement.

Claire Perry: In the Clean Growth Strategy we set out our aspiration that as many homes as possible will be upgraded to an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Band C by 2035, where practical, cost effective and affordable. 1. On average, it can cost £2,100 more per year to run the least inefficient homes (Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) “G” rated) compared to the most efficient ones (“A” rated). 2. We want to ensure that everyone has a home that is comfortable, healthy and affordable to run. The effect on home owners of upgrading to an EPC Band C will be different depending on the type of home and the measures that are appropriate to improve it. Typical energy efficiency measures might include installing insulation, a more energy efficient boiler or new heating controls. 3. Energy efficiency brings a wide range of benefits to households, society and the energy system as a whole. More efficient homes mean lower energy bills and improved health and comfort for homeowners, as well as wider benefits such as improvements to air quality.

Post Offices: Closures

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the economic effect on (a) local businesses and (b) local communities of closing dedicated post office premises on the high street.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and for small businesses across the UK. This is why the Government committed to safeguard the post office network and protect existing rural services. The overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches thanks to significant Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010.While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business. The distribution of branches is an operational matter of commercial judgement for Post Office management team. I have therefore asked Paula Vennells, the Group Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to the hon Member on this matter. A copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Post Offices: Closures

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the financial effect on local (a) businesses and (b) communities of the closure of dedicated post office premises on the high street.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and for small businesses across the UK. This is why the Government committed to safeguard the post office network and protect existing rural services. The overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches thanks to significant Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010.While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business. The distribution of branches is an operational matter of commercial judgement for Post Office management team. I have therefore asked Paula Vennells, the Group Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to the hon Member on this matter. A copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Wind Power: Costs

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the oral contribution of 21 November 2018 by the Minister of State for Climate Change and Industry to the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee on Carbon Capture and Storage, Question 229, if he will identify the evidence on which the Minister based her statement that onshore wind cost-comparisons are not necessarily particularly accurate.

Claire Perry: The Government’s most recent assessment of levelised costs for a range of technologies was published in 2016. We are currently undertaking a review of our evidence on levelised costs of electricity generation. The cost of developing, building and operating any onshore or offshore wind farm will vary according to site specific characteristics. Levelised costs are a generic central estimate which take into account the range of likely costs associated with developing projects of a particular technology class but are not in themselves project specific.

Wind Power: Costs

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the relative cost of onshore wind as a form of energy production compared to other forms of production.

Claire Perry: BEIS’s most recent published assessment of electricity generation costs can be found in the generation costs report (2016)[1] which covers both renewable and non-renewable technologies, including onshore wind. We are currently undertaking a review of our evidence on levelised costs of electricity generation.[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/beis-electricity-generation-costs-november-2016

Electricity Generation: Costs

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will publish the (a) most expensive and (b) cheapest form of electricity to produce.

Claire Perry: We are currently undertaking a review of our evidence on levelised costs of electricity generation, which will be published in due course. BEIS’s most recent published assessment of electricity generation costs can be found in the generation costs report (2016)[1] [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/beis-electricity-generation-costs-november-2016

Post Offices

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate his Department has made of the number of post office branches that currently have suspended services; and if he will make a statement.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and for small businesses across the UK. This is why the Government committed to safeguard the post office network and protect existing rural services. The overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches thanks to significant Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010.While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business. The distribution of branches is an operational matter of commercial judgement for Post Office management team. I have therefore asked Paula Vennells, the Group Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to the hon Member on this matter. A copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Electricity Generation: Costs

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when his Department plans to complete its review of evidence on levelised costs of electricity generation.

Claire Perry: We are currently undertaking a review of our evidence on levelised costs of electricity generation and this will be completed in due course.

Post Offices

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many of the network of 11,500 post offices are currently suspended.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and for small businesses across the UK. This is why the Government committed to safeguard the post office network and protect existing rural services. The overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches thanks to significant Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010.While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business. The distribution of branches is an operational matter of commercial judgement for Post Office management team. I have therefore asked Paula Vennells, the Group Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to the hon Member on this matter. A copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Scottish Limited Partnerships: Ownership

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many Scottish limited partnerships have not registered a person of significant control.

Kelly Tolhurst: There are around 18000 Scottish Limited Partnerships which are considered active. Of these, just over 2,700 have not submitted any person with significant control information.

Energy: Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate his Department has made of the total amount of energy exchanged between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland under the Single Energy Market in 2017.

Claire Perry: This information is publicly available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/electricity-section-5-energy-trends.

McColl's: Post Offices

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many Post Office branches are located in McColl's stores; and whether there are plans to locate more Post Office branches in McColl's stores.

Kelly Tolhurst: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Post Offices: Closures

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the (a) number and (b) percentage of main Post Office branch closure consultations that resulted in branches remaining open.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and for small businesses across the UK. This is why the Government committed to safeguard the post office network and protect existing rural services. The overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches thanks to significant Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010.While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business. The distribution of branches is an operational matter of commercial judgement for Post Office management team. I have therefore asked Paula Vennells, the Group Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, to write to you on this matter. A copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Members: Correspondence

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when his Department plans to respond to the letter of 6 November 2018 from the hon. Member for Glasgow Central on the issue of fireworks.

Kelly Tolhurst: I have replied to the hon. Member. My office will be in touch shortly to schedule the meeting referred to.

Biotechnology

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to publish the bioeconomy sector deal.

Richard Harrington: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Housing: Solar Power

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 14 November 2018 to Question 194025 on Housing: Solar Power, what steps his Department has taken to monitor whether the work undertaken by BRE National Solar Centre has led to the recommendations of that report being implemented by those relevant bodies.

Claire Perry: The BRE National Solar Centre, on behalf of the Department, discussed this interim report with relevant bodies, the Microgeneration Certification Scheme, British Standards Institute and the International Electrotechnical Commission, at a workshop on 20th November. Minutes from this meeting are yet to be finalised, and the Department will be engaging further with those relevant bodies on how best to implement the recommendations in due course.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Overseas Aid

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what proportion of his Department's ODA-funded projects are listed on the Department for International Development's Development Tracker website.

Richard Harrington: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Overseas Aid

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Independent Commission for Aid report, Global Challenges Research Fund - a rapid review, published in September 2017, what progress his Department has made on delivering recommendation 3 of that report.

Richard Harrington: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Post Office: Fraud

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much Post Office Ltd has spent on prosecutions of sub-postmasters in cases relating to the Horizon accounting system.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and for small businesses across the UK. This is why the Government committed to safeguard the post office network and protect existing rural services. The overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches. While the Post Office is publicly owned it operates as an independent, commercial business. The relationship with its sub-postmasters and the management of its IT systems are operational matters for the Post Office.

Post Office: Fraud

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what approval was given by his Department for Post Office Ltd to prosecute sub-postmasters in cases relating to the Horizon accounting system; and if he will make a statement.

Kelly Tolhurst: While the Post Office is publicly owned it operates as an independent, commercial business. The relationship with its sub-postmasters and the management of its IT systems are operational matters for the Post Office and as such do not require Government approval.

Post Office: Secondsight

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much Post Office Ltd paid independent forensic accountants Second Sight to investigate issues relating to the Horizon accounting system.

Kelly Tolhurst: While the Post Office is publicly owned it operates as an independent, commercial business. The management of its IT systems are operational matters for the Post Office.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Grenfell Tower: Fires

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many households affected by the Grenfell Tower fire require rehousing; and how many of those households are in (a) emergency, (b) temporary and (c) permanent accommodation.

James Brokenshire: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Grenfell Tower: Fires

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many households in (a) Barandon Walk, (b) Testerton Walk, (c) Hurstway Walk, (d) Treadgold House and (e) Bramley House require rehousing as a result of the Grenfell Tower fire; and how many of those households have been rehoused in (i) emergency accommodation, (ii) temporary accommodation and (iii) permanent accommodation.

James Brokenshire: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Planning Permission

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that there is local support for schemes proposed under permitted development rights.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the level of opposition to development using permitted development rights.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent estimate he has made of the number of each housing tenure being delivered through permitted development rights.

Kit Malthouse: The introduction of new permitted development rights is considered through public consultation. Views shared are considered when deciding whether to bring forward a new right and how it would apply. Alongside there is regular engagement with key stakeholders. Where a permitted development right requires the prior approval of the local planning authority on specific planning matters adjoining owners and occupiers would usually be notified and the local community would have an opportunity to comment.

Planning Permission

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the average size of those units delivered through permitted development rights was in the last three years for which information is available.

Kit Malthouse: I refer the Hon Member to my answer of 10 December to Question UIN198907.

Environmental Health

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect of recent changes in the level of Government funding to local authorities on the effectiveness of local authority environmental health teams.

Rishi Sunak: Over the five-year period from 2015-16 to 2019-20 councils will have access to more than £200 billion. It is for local authorities to determine how to spend this and the other sources of income they receive on the services that they provide, including Environmental Health, taking account of local needs and priorities.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Chief Scientific Advisers

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many meetings he had with his Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser between 1 September and 30 November 2018.

Jake Berry: The Secretary of State had numerous meetings attended by analyst and technical specialists from across the Department between 1 September and 20 November 2018.

Sleeping Rough

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to provide funding for Streetlink to support a reduction in rough sleeping winter 2018.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: MHCLG have provided £300,000 per year to fund StreetLink since it was established in 2012. Over this period, it has supported over 22,000 individuals into accommodation or support services.Last year over the winter period over 100,000 new people joined StreetLink, in order to refer a rough sleeper they were concerned about. StreetLink will continue to operate this winter, assisted by funding from MHCLG, to enable the public to alert outreach teams and other support services to rough sleepers at risk on the streets.In addition, as part of our Rough Sleeping Strategy, we announced further funding for an enhanced StreetLink service. Development of the platform will be iterative, to ensure a smooth transition and incorporate what has worked well from the existing service, as well as a variety of users’ needs.

Local Government Finance

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the change in real terms of central Government funding for local government since 2010.

Rishi Sunak: Central government funding cannot in isolation provide a true representation of local authority finances. The responsibilities, structure and makeup of local authorities have changed significantly since 2010 and spending power, formula grants and settlement funding assessments are not directly comparable over this period. For example, with the introduction of the Business Rates Retention Scheme local authorities estimate they will keep around £2.4 billion in business rates growth in 2018-19.Over the five year period from 2015-16 to 2019-20 council’s will have access to more than £200 billion, after last month’s budget. This recognises both the growing pressure on local government’s services and higher-than-expected inflation levels. In the long term, next year’s Spending Review will determine funding for local government from 2020-21 onwards and will enable us to look at local government spending in the round.

Durham Tees Valley Airport

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the proposal from the Tees Valley Mayor to buy Durham Tees Valley Airport, what the Government's policy is on devolved resources to Combined Authorities being used to bring airports into public ownership; and if he will make a statement.

Jake Berry: In 2015, Tees Valley Combined Authority was awarded the long term Investment Fund of £450 million over 30 years as part of its Devolution Deal and Single Pot funding arrangements. In line with other Devolution Deals agreed, places can allocate and spend Investment Funds on locally appraised projects, providing them with greater control over directing priority investment decisions.The Combined Authority has responsibility for how it will invest these funds within the scope of an agreed assurance framework, which sets out how they will appraise, monitor and evaluates schemes to achieve value for money. This is based on Government’s Single Pot Assurance Framework national guidance. To ensure value for money is achieved for the taxpayer, future release of Investment Funds are subject to five yearly Gateway Reviews which include an economic impact assessment carried out by an independent panel.

*No heading*

Sir David Amess: What steps his Department is taking to reduce homelessness.

Vicky Ford: What steps his Department is taking to reduce homelessness.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: Tackling homelessness and rough sleeping is a key priority for this Government. We are spending over £1.2 billion through to 2020, we have implemented the most ambitious legislative reform in decades, the Homelessness Reduction Act, and have just published our plan to deliver the Rough Sleeping Strategy.

*No heading*

Nigel Huddleston: What recent steps his Department has taken to support local government.

Rishi Sunak: At the Autumn Budget the Government announced over £1 billion of extra funding for local authorities, this year and next, to help them deliver the services their communities need and support their most vulnerable residents.

Ministry of Defence

Burma: Military Aid

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the (a) full military titles and (b) names of the Burmese military personnel that visited the UK to undertake UK Government funded defence educational training courses in 2017.

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the (a) full military titles and (b) names of the Burmese military personnel that visited the UK to undertake UK Government funded defence educational training courses in 2016.

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the (a) full military titles and (b) names of the Burmese military personnel that visited the UK to undertake the course entitled Managing Defence in a Wider Security Context in 2014.

Mark Lancaster: The personal details of individuals who have attended UK defence training courses in the past constitutes personal data that cannot be released.In September 2017 the UK announced the suspension of its programme of practical defence cooperation with Burma, including the suspension of all defence educational training courses, until there is an acceptable resolution to the situation in Rakhine. The UK's previous programme of defence cooperation and training focused on governance, accountability, ethics, human rights and international law training. It did not include any form of combat training for the Burmese military.

Defence Equipment and Support: Vacancies

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many vacant civilian staff full-time equivalent posts Defence Equipment and Support has had in each of the last three years.

Stuart Andrew: Defence Equipment and Support now operates a balanced matrix approach to the deployment of personnel, which means that people will frequently move to different assignments based on prioritisation of customer needs. Consolidated information on the number of vacancies in the organisation is therefore not held.

Defence Equipment and Support: Apprentices

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of Defence Equipment and Support apprentices left that organisation before completing their apprenticeships in each of the last three years.

Stuart Andrew: Information on the number of Defence Equipment and Support apprentices who left the organisation before completing their apprenticeships since 2015 is in the tables below. Engineering  2015201620172018Intake648410183Completed54709281Percentage84.4%83.4%92.1%97.6%Left organisation before completion101492Percentage15.6%16.6%8.9%2.4% Project professionals  2015201620172018Intake-1126N/ACompleted-922N/APercentage-81.9%84.6%N/ALeft organisation before completion-24N/APercentage-18.1%15.4%N/A Finance  2015201620172018Intake103011N/ACompleted8249N/APercentage80%80%81.9%N/ALeft organisation before completion262N/APercentage20%20%18.1%N/A

Defence Equipment and Support: Pay

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average salary increase was for each grade Defence Equipment and Support employee in 2016.

Stuart Andrew: In 2016, the average salary increase across all grades of Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) employees was 1.35%. Given the changes to the DE&S pay arrangements since this period, a more detailed breakdown of this increase would require significant manual analysis of historical records and, as such, an analysis by grade could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Defence Equipment and Support: Personnel Management

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has made an assessment of the effect of the new performance management system in Defence Equipment and Support on the provision of support to the armed forces.

Stuart Andrew: The priority for Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) is the safe provision of world-class procurement and support to the Armed Forces. The DE&S performance management system, which is designed to enable the organisation to recruit and retain the specialist skills it needs, is just one element that contributes to delivery performance. This performance is measured through an integrated set of key performance indicators (KPI), progress against which is published in the DE&S Annual Report and Accounts. KPI 1 reflects delivery performance to the Armed Forces, and this shows that DE&S continues to achieve or exceed its targets.

Defence Fire and Rescue Service: Capita

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the effect of the financial status of Capita on its ability to fulfil the contract for the Defence Fire and Rescue Service.

Mark Lancaster: The Department monitors the financial health of all its major suppliers both before award and throughout the life of a contract. Capita's bid for the provision of the Defence Fire and Rescue project was subject to the fullest range of scrutiny within Government, including an assessment of their financial sustainability and their ability to deliver the required services. This assessment remains valid. Any contract is actively managed to provide early warning of any performance concerns.

Defence Fire and Rescue Service: Capita

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when Capita will begin to operate the Defence Fire and Rescue Service.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Contract award is suspended until after the conclusion of legal proceedings. The timing of these proceedings is a matter for the courts. The delivery of Defence fire and rescue services remains unaffected.

Defence: Modernisation

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to publish the Modernising Defence Programme; and if he will make a statement.

Gavin Williamson: The Modernising Defence Programme is ongoing. I remain committed to updating Parliament soon.

Ministry of Defence: Integrity Initiative

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has (a) funded, (b) awarded contracts to and (c) procured the services of the Integrity Initiative in each financial year since 2015-16.

Stuart Andrew: The Ministry of Defence has no record of any payments and/or contracts with The Integrity Initiative.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles: Repairs and Maintenance

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's Financial Summary of the Defence Equipment Plan 2018, what the timeframe is for his Department to conclude negotiations with the Prime Contractor of the Warrior Capability Sustainment Programme.

Stuart Andrew: Formal engagement with the prime contractor on manufacture negotiations will be subject to satisfactory progress being made in the Demonstration Phase. Those negotiations will conclude when the Ministry of Defence believes it has secured a value for money commercial agreement.

Defence Equipment: ICT

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's Financial Summary of the Defence Equipment Plan 2018, what the shortfall is in the manning of the New Style of IT (deployed) project.

Stuart Andrew: The shortfall in manning of the New Style of IT (Deployed) project within Information Systems and Services referred to in the Financial Summary of the Defence Equipment Plan 2018 was 16. This consisted of five Crown Servant positions and 11 contractor positions.The personnel requirement continues to be closely managed to ensure the appropriate numbers of resources are provided.

HMS Vanguard: Repairs and Maintenance

Ronnie Cowan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent inspections have been carried out on the fuel removed from HMS Vanguard during its deep maintenance and refuelling.

Stuart Andrew: We have not yet carried out inspections of fuel removed from HMS Vanguard.

HMS Vanguard and HMS Victorious: Nuclear Reactors

Ronnie Cowan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether fuel issues have been identified with the PWR2 type reactors in (a) HMS Victorious and (b) HMS Vanguard.

Stuart Andrew: I can confirm the safety of all our nuclear submarines is not in doubt.

Ministry of Defence: Empty Property

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many unoccupied properties owned by his Department are located in Wales.

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many empty properties owned by his Department are located in Ceredigion.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: I am interpreting your questions as referring to Service Family Accommodation (SFA) for which the Ministry of Defence (MOD) owns the freehold.There are seven unoccupied (void) SFA properties owned by the MOD located in Wales.The MOD does not own any SFA properties in Ceredigion.

Armed Forces Covenant

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many times the Armed Forces Covenant Reference Group met in (a) 2017 and (b) 2018.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Cabinet Office records indicate that the Armed Forces Covenant Reference Group met three times in each year.

European Fighter Aircraft

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2018 to Question 169196 on European Fighter Aircraft, whether the timetable for the completion of Project Centurion remains at 31 December 2018.

Stuart Andrew: Yes.

Commonwealth: Armed Forces

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his oral contribution of 26 November 2018, Official Report, column 3, what the evidential basis is of his estimate that up to 1,350 Commonwealth citizens will join the armed forces in 2019.

Mark Lancaster: On 5 November 2018, I announced (HCWS1062) the removal of the five-year UK residency criterion for Commonwealth citizens wishing to join the Armed Forces to enable the recruitment of up to 1,350 per year. We know from the recruitment that we have continued to do from the Commonwealth over recent years that many Commonwealth citizens aspire to join the Armed Forces where they make an outstanding contribution. Our recruitment plans will see the numbers joining rising upwards to 1,350 per year over the next few years as this change takes full effect.

Veterans

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the Veterans Board last met.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Ministerial Covenant and Veterans Board has strengthened strategic oversight of the Armed Forces Covenant and is driving forward better Government support to the Armed Forces, their families and veterans across the whole of the UK. The Board last met on 5 November 2018.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, by what date his Department expects to complete the transition from Reaper to Protector aircraft.

Stuart Andrew: Under current plans, Protector will be fully operational by the middle of the next decade. Ongoing planning assumes a seamless transition with Reaper.

Defence Equipment and Support

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many transactions worth more than £1 million Defence Equipment and Support has made since August 2018.

Stuart Andrew: Details of all Ministry of Defence payments over £25,000 are published on gov.uk as part of the Government's Transparency Agenda. This can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mod-spending-over-25000-january-to-december-2018. The data includes payments made by Defence Equipment and Support.

Defence Equipment and Support

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department paid to PwC for its work on a new staff pay and grading structure and performance management system for Defence Equipment and Support.

Stuart Andrew: Between 2014 and 2018, as a managed service provider, PwC supported Defence Equipment and Support in developing a new people model, introducing matrix management, implementing new people policies, and developing a pay, grading and performance management system. PwC was paid £43 million to complete this work.

Ministry of Defence: Staff

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what length of time is allocated to Ministry of Defence civilian staff for decompression adjustment following deployment in conflict zones.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The 24-hour Third Location Decompression (TLD) package exists to allow Service personnel and Ministry of Defence (MOD) Civilians returning from operational theatres the opportunity to re-adjust to routine work and family life. Not all personnel returning from operations will be required to undertake the TLD package; the assessment is based on the levels of risk and rigour to which deployed personnel have been exposed. There are no current operations where decompression is required, but this judgement is kept under regular review and Commanding Officers and managers may propose special action where the experience of an individual or unit is deemed to merit this. Service personnel and MOD Civilians on operational deployments which are not exposed to high intensity combat engagement or significant compressing factors will receive a series of briefings in Theatre within their final week prior to departure. The aim is to encourage a period of reflection, to engage if Trauma Risk Management intervention has been required, and to brief on some of the challenges that may confront an individual returning to a normal work and home pattern of life.

Ministry of Defence: Empty Property

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many unoccupied properties owned by his Department are located in (a) East Riding of Yorkshire and (b) Yorkshire.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: I am interpreting your questions as referring to Service Family Accommodation (SFA) for which the Ministry of Defence (MOD) owns the freehold.There are no unoccupied (void) SFA properties owned by the MOD located in the East Riding of Yorkshire and 56 unoccupied properties in Yorkshire.

Scotland Office

Skye Bridge: Tolls

Ian Blackford: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether the Permit to Use the Skye crossing, issued on his behalf by JMP Consultants to Skye Bridge Company on 16 October 1995, is intended to authorise the charging and the collecting of toll monies.

David Mundell: Powers in this area, along with all relevant administrative functions and related records, were devolved and transferred to the Scottish Government in 1997.

Department for International Trade

US-Canada Regulatory Cooperation Council

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what preparations he is making for meeting with the US-Canada Regulatory Cooperation Council in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

George Hollingbery: The US-Canada Regulatory Cooperation Council is a bilateral forum for US and Canadian governments to identify and recommend opportunities to enhance regulatory cooperation between the two countries. The Government is continuing to meet with both the United States and Canada to discuss strengthening our trade links, including through regulatory cooperation.

Department for International Trade: Chief Scientific Advisers

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many meetings he had with his Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser between 1 September and 30 November 2018.

George Hollingbery: During the requested time period: Department for International Trade (DIT) Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) presented an update to the DIT Board on 19th November, at which my Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State was present as a member of the Board. The CSA updated the Board on his activities during the past year and priorities for 2019. The Secretary of State and the CSA do meet for bilaterals and the Secretary of State takes a keen interested in the CSA’s work.

Trade Fairs

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of Government support for UK companies seeking to take part in overseas exhibitions in the latest period for which information is available.

Graham Stuart: The Department for International Trade supports UK businesses seeking to take part in overseas exhibitions through a variety of programmes and events. The estimated expenditure for this activity in 2018/19 is £10.9m.

Department for Transport

Biofuels: Air Pollution

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the introduction of (a) E10 and (b) E80 on air quality; and if he will make a statement.

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the introduction of (a) E10 and (b) E80 on the UK's carbon emissions; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: In the consultation paper, “E10 petrol, consumer protection and fuel pump labelling”, the Department noted that using E10 in place of E5 could reduce the net greenhouse gas emissions of a petrol vehicle by around two per cent. To date the Department has not seen strong or conclusive evidence that moving from E5 to E10 would have any significant effect on air quality pollutants. In respect of E80, and other very high blends of ethanol in petrol, there are very few vehicles in the UK compatible with such fuels and its use is considered to be of low probability in the near future.

Railways: Standards

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of rail passengers who have been delayed by (a) at least (i) 30 minutes and (ii) one hour and (b) more than two hours in the UK in each year since 2010.

Andrew Jones: The Department for Transport (DfT) does not hold estimates of the number of rail passengers who have been delayed by (i) at least thirty minutes, (ii) one hour or more, or (iii) more than two hours each year since 2010. However, DfT recently published (1 October) the compensation amounts paid by TOCs to passengers for delayed journeys since 2009. It shows the total amount of compensation paid to passengers has risen 80% in the past two years, as the government has increased the requirements of train operators to publicise passengers’ rights.

A75

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport,  if he will take steps to ensure that the Borderlands Growth Deal will secure improvements to the A75 primary trunk road.

Jesse Norman: Road investment in Scotland is a devolved matter and any proposals to improve the A75 would, in the first instance, be a matter for the Borderlands local authorities to discuss with the Scottish Government. Where there are areas of cross-border interest UK Ministers remain keen to collaborate with their Scottish counterparts. Growth Deals are locally led and proposals must have local support, deliver growth and represent good value for public money. Government reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining momentum and negotiating a Growth Deal for the Borderlands in the Autumn Budget.

Transport: EU Countries

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to The future relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union White Paper, published on 12 July 2018, what progress has been made since that white paper was published; and what steps his Department is taking to secure bilateral agreements with (a) France, (b) Belgium and (c) the Netherlands for continued transport of goods and passengers through the Channel Tunnel after the UK leaves the EU.

Chris Grayling: The Government has agreed in principle the terms of the UK’s smooth and orderly exit from the EU, as set out in the Withdrawal Agreement. The UK has also agreed with the EU the broad terms of our future relationship as set out in the outline Political Declaration. This includes a commitment to agree bilateral arrangements with Member States to ensure the continued smooth functioning and operation of services through the Channel Tunnel. The Government is engaging with a range of European counterparts, including relevant Member States, in relation to the continued operation of cross-border rail services, following preparations for the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. These discussions are ongoing and include consideration of arrangements needed both following the implementation period, as well as preparations for the unlikely event of no deal. The Government is committed to supporting the continued success of the Channel Tunnel, including rail freight services that run through it, and we want to see these grow in the future. The arrangements we are seeking to negotiate bilaterally are intended to ensure that both current operators of passenger and freight services, and any prospective operators seeking to run new services in future, can do so as seamlessly as possible.

Railways

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Section 1.7.4 Rail in The future relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union White Paper, published on 12 July 2018, how his Department defines the unique characteristics of the UK rail network.

Chris Grayling: The uniqueness of the UK rail industry is characterised by its long history of market liberalisation and competition, with more private operators than any other EU country and with parts of our network running to almost full capacity. The UK uses a different gauge and also differs from many of our European neighbours in that our network is largely domestic with only two cross-border services.

Railways: EU Countries

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the liability for errors in drafting technical standards for interoperability that is currently held by the European Commission under a no-deal scenario.

Chris Grayling: In a no-deal scenario, the UK will be a third country unbound by EU law. UK technical specifications for interoperability will be published by the Secretary of State for Transport, and the European Commission will not hold liability for their content. The UK will also have the flexibility to align with or diverge from new technical standards developed by the EU after exit. We will only diverge where there are clear arguments for doing so and after engaging fully with industry to assess the impact. The Department is currently considering issues relating to liability for UK technical standards and continues to engage closely with stakeholders on this point.

Skipton-Colne Railway Line

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish the feasibility study into the restoration of the Skipton to Colne railway link.

Andrew Jones: The feasibility study into the reinstatement of the Skipton-Colne rail link as part of a route for passengers and freight has only very recently been completed. The Government is considering next steps and expects to make an announcement shortly.

Railways: North of England

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the outcome is of his discussions with Northern and Transpennine on their franchise commitments to provide train services on Boxing Day 2018.

Andrew Jones: Under the terms of their Franchise Agreement Arriva Rail North (ARN) were required within 12 months of the start date of the franchise to consult with passengers, user groups, Network Rail, other train operators who operate along the affected routes and other relevant Stakeholders on the potential demand for passenger services on Boxing Day and produce a report. This was submitted to the Rail North Partnership team and highlighted that the direct cost of operation would exceed the estimated revenue, and raised concerns regarding access due to significant engineering activity traditionally carried out at this time of year. Separately ARN’s Franchise Agreement requires the operation of a minimum of 60 services on Boxing Day from 2018. However, Northern raised concerns about their ability to operate a service on Boxing Day 2018, mainly due to engineering possessions along the routes they wish to operate, and have asked for a derogation until the following year to the current Franchise Agreement which is currently being considered. Under the terms of their Franchise Agreement TransPennine Express (TPE) were required within 12 months of the start date of the franchise to consult with passengers, user groups, Network Rail, other train operators who operate along the affected routes and other relevant Stakeholders on the potential demand for passenger services on Boxing Day and produce a report. This was submitted to the Rail North Partnership team and recommended that there may be an opportunity to work jointly with ARN and RNP to agree to use funds allocated in the Franchise for future service initiatives (the Service Options Fund) to provide a trial service for a future Boxing day, with terms of such a trial being pre-agreed between the parties. Unlike ARN, TPE has no obligation under its Franchise Agreement to provide Boxing Day services. Opportunities for funding and delivering such services in the future will be considered alongside other franchise enhancement opportunities.

Railways: Franchises

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which rail franchises are required to provide train services on Boxing Day, and what those requirements are for each franchise.

Andrew Jones: Franchise Agreement train service specification (typically Train Service Requirements) are published on the .GOV website and the General Provisions include the specified service requirements for Bank Holidays and Boxing Day, the table below lists the requirements per franchised operator. The Christmas and New Year period is historically a time for major engineering works around the rail network as fewer people are travelling, therefore the ability to schedule the specified Boxing Day train services may be adversely affected. All operators publish changes to their train services for Christmas and New Year, such advice is available through the National Rail website under “Holidays and events.” Boxing Day (26 December 2018) service requirements: Franchise (TOC)Franchise Agreement requirement and Boxing Day servicesChiltern (Chiltern Railways)No services are requiredCross-Country (ArrivaXC)No services are requiredEast Anglia (GreaterAnglia)On Boxing Day, train services shall be provided between London Liverpool Street and Stansted Airport, calling at Tottenham Hale (or Seven Sisters), Harlow Town and Bishop’s Stortford. The First Service shall arrive at Stansted Airport no later than 0715 and the Last Service shall depart London no earlier than 2315 such that a minimum of 35 services are provided between London Liverpool Street and Stansted Airport. The First Service from Stansted Airport shall arrive at London no later than 0720 and the Last Service shall depart Stansted Airport no earlier than 0030 such that a minimum of 37 services are provided between Stansted Airport and London Liverpool Street. [This year a half-hourly Stansted Express train service to/from Tottenham Hale].East Midlands (EMTrains)No services are requiredEssex Thameside (c2c)No services are requiredGreat Western (GWR)No services are requiredIntegrated Kent Franchise (Southeastern Railway)No services are required. [This year a High Speed (HS1) service will run between London St Pancras International and Ashford International].LNERNo services are requiredInter-City West Coast (Virgin Trains)No services are requiredNorthern (Arriva Rail North)For the duration of Train Service Requirement(s) 2 and 3, on Boxing Day the Franchisee shall operate a minimum of sixty (60) Passenger Services, on such Routes as the Franchisee may determine. [Northern have requested that this not be delivered for this coming Boxing Day, this is a matter for Rail North who is currently considering this request].South Western (SWR)No services are requiredThameslink Southern & Great Northern (GTR)Train services between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport at half-hourly intervals, to operate from approximately 0500 until approximately 2300; From approximately 0830 until approximately 2100; (i) train services between London Victoria and Three Bridges at half-hourly intervals, calling intermediately at Clapham Junction, East Croydon and Gatwick Airport. Alternate services shall be extended to call at Haywards Heath and Brighton to provide an hourly service between those stations and London Victoria. The requirements for these services may be combined with those between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport; and (ii) stopping train services at half-hourly intervals between: (A) London Victoria and Sutton via Selhurst; and (B) London Victoria and East Croydon via Crystal Palace. [These services will run from London Bridge this year due to infrastructure works preventing services from serving London Victoria. Ticket acceptance is in place and passengers are able to use their ticket on London Underground services between London Victoria and London Bridge].Trans-Pennine Express (First TPE)No services are requiredWest Midlands (West Midland Trains)No services are required

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

EU Countries: British Nationals Abroad

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many UK citizens currently resident elsewhere in the EU his Department expects to return to the UK as a result of the UK leaving the EU.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Withdrawal Agreement, and the detailed political declaration on the terms of our future relationship, include protection for the rights of citizens, including UK citizens currently living in the EU. There should therefore be no need for UK citizens to return as a result of the UK leaving the EU.

South Sudan: USA

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in the US Administration on appointing a Special Representative to South Sudan.

Harriett Baldwin: As members of the Troika (with Norway), we are in frequent discussions with senior officials in the US Government, including the Office of the Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan, to help support a lasting and sustainable peace following the 12 September agreement. We support any decision by the US to appoint an Envoy, however this is an internal matter for the US Government, who remains a vital partner for the UK in promoting peace in South Sudan.

South Sudan: Law and Order

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what diplomatic steps his Department plans to take to help stabilise the law and order situation in Juba, South Sudan.

Harriett Baldwin: ​The UK is committed to supporting peace, stability, and security throughout South Sudan, including in the capital Juba. While levels of violence have reduced since the signing of the peace agreement on 12 September, progress on implementation is slow and inconsistent, violations of the ceasefire continue in some areas, and levels of crime remain high. Through diplomatic engagement by Ministers and senior officials, we continue to urge the parties to demonstrate their commitment to providing safety and security for the South Sudanese people across the country by putting an immediate end to all violence.

Burma: Peace Negotiations

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much funding the Government has provided to the Government of Burma to support the peace process in that country since 2015.

Mark Field: Since 2015 the UK has provided funding totalling £7.3 million to organisations in Burma supporting the peace process. None of this funding goes directly to the Government of Burma.

Burma: Sanctions

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government is taking steps to implement targeted sanctions against the military in Burma.

Mark Field: ​The UK was instrumental in delivering the EU's targeted sanctions on seven individuals responsible for human rights violations in Rakhine, adopted at the Foreign Affairs Council on 25 June. We have focused on those who were directly responsible for the units that have been identified by multiple reports from credible international organisations as committing human rights violations in Rakhine. We are currently in discussion with EU partners on adding other individuals to this sanctions listing.

Burma: Sexual Offences

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what diplomatic steps his Department is tacking to prevent sexual violence in conflict in Kachin and Shan states of northern Burma.

Mark Field: Through diplomatic action the UK seeks to show there will be no impunity for perpetrators of sexual violence in conflict in Burma, including in Kachin and Shan States. In September 2018 the UK co-sponsored the UN Human Rights Council Resolution which established a mechanism to collect and preserve evidence of human rights violations in Burma, including Kachin and Shan states, for use in future prosecutions. The Resolution also called for Burma's Commission of Inquiry to hold to account all those responsible for crimes committed during military operations in Rakhine State, including conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence. The UK co-sponsored the UN General Assembly's Third Committee Resolution which was passed on 15 November and called for a full and independent investigation of human rights violations and abuses committed in Burma, including those reported by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict.

Tibet: Official Visits

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many official requests have been made to visit Tibet in the last 10 years; and how many of those requests were granted.

Mark Field: We have made repeated requests to the Chinese authorities to visit Tibet in the last 10 years, but very few of those have been agreed or acknowledged. The British Ambassador most recently visited Tibet from 26–30 June 2017, with other EU Heads of Mission representing their individual countries. Our Ambassador is the UK representative for the whole of China and we believe it is important she is able to visit all areas – including Tibet. We continue to press for the further access for British diplomats, as well as urging the Chinese authorities to lift the visit restrictions imposed on all foreigners.

Eswatini: Non-governmental Organisations

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions she has had with civil society organisations in the UK on eSwatini.

Harriett Baldwin: Officials in the UK last met representatives from Action for Southern Africa (ACTSA) and Swaziland Human Rights Network UK in May 2018 to discuss human rights and democracy in eSwatini.

Eswatini: Diplomatic Service

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress there has been on establishing a High Commission in eSwatini.

Harriett Baldwin: We are in the process of appointing a High Commissioner to Eswatini and in sourcing property in Mbabane. We expect to have representation in the country by mid-2019.

Syria: Military Intervention

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to encourage the Turkish Government to (a) halt further incursions in to Syrian territory and (b) bring to an end the occupation of Afrin.

Sir Alan Duncan: The UK Government regularly discusses the Syrian conflict with the Turkish authorities, including recent conversations between the UK Minister for the Middle East and North Africa and his Turkish counterpart. While we recognise Turkey's legitimate interest in the security of its borders, we have raised our concerns that further military operations risk undermining our shared goal of securing the enduring defeat of Daesh. Following military operations in Afrin, we have stressed the need for a sustainable solution for representative local governance, which is acceptable to Turkey and to local communities. We continue to push for a reduction in violence, and for consideration of the humanitarian needs of the population in the affected areas.

South China Sea: Military Bases

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Chinese Government on reports that they plan to construct an underwater military facility in the disputed South China Sea territory.

Mark Field: The Government is concerned by reports of militarisation of the South China Sea, and any threat or implied threat of force. We monitor the situation and oppose any action which changes the facts on the ground, raises tensions or hinders the chance of peaceful settlement of the disputes. The UK has enduring interests in the region and has a clear interest in regional peace and stability, and respect for freedom of navigation and overflight.

Syria: Turkey

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Turkish counterpart on the Turkish invasion of Afrin; the effect of that military operation on civilians in Afrin; and the adequacy of medical (a) services and (b) equipment to treat those civilians.

Sir Alan Duncan: During the Turkish operation in Afrin, the UK Government called for de-escalation of the military conflict and the protection of civilians, while recognising Turkey's legitimate interest in the security of its borders. UK Government Ministers urged their Turkish counterparts to do everything possible to minimise humanitarian suffering including the need to facilitate access for life-saving humanitarian aid in accordance with international humanitarian law.DFID partners are delivering limited humanitarian assistance in Afrin and to those displaced from the district, where access allows. This includes medical consultations, immunisations and nutrition support for mothers and children.

Israel: Palestinians

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent diplomatic steps he has taken to secure peace between Israel and Palestine.

Alistair Burt: At this highly sensitive time in the region, there is an urgent need to restart the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians. We regularly press both parties to resume direct negotiations towards a two-state solution. I discussed the issue of the Middle East Peace Process with the Israeli Ambassador to the UK on 11 October and the Palestinian Foreign Minister on 24 November. We continue to believe the best way to achieve this is through substantive peace talks between the parties leading to a two-state solution based on well-known parameters. These parameters are 1967 borders with agreed land swaps, Jerusalem as the shared capital of both states, and a just, fair, agreed and realistic settlement for refugees.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Integrity Initiative

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2018 to Question 196177 on Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Integrity Initiative, if he will publish his Department's (a) documents and (b) correspondence on grant agreements for the Integrity Initiative.

Sir Alan Duncan: The FCO's Counter Disinformation and Media Development Programme is designed to protect national security by countering disinformation directed at the UK and its Allies from Russia. Russia persistently uses disinformation to target its perceived enemies. An example was the Russian disinformation campaign that followed the attack in Salisbury, which was intended to distract from Russian culpability. Documents and correspondence about projects within the Programme will not be published, as this information could then be used to actively attempt to disrupt and undermine the Programme's effectiveness.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Integrity Initiative

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2018 to Question 196177 on Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Integrity Initiative, whether the funding provided to the Institute of Statecraft was through the FCO-led Russian Language Programme.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Russian Language Programme was launched in 2014 following Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea. In April 2016 we launched a new four year strategic communications and media development programme authorised by the National Security Council, called the Counter Disinformation and Media Development Programme. The former Russian Language Programme was amalgamated into this. The funding provided to the Institute for Statecraft was funded from the Counter Disinformation and Media Development Programme.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Integrity Initiative

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2018 to Question 196177 on Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Integrity Initiative, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people employed to work (a) on the Integrity Initiative and (b) for the Institute of Statecraft that hold (i) posts and (ii) honorary posts in the British military.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office do not have an estimate for the number of people employed by the Institute for Statecraft. None of those employed in the Integrity Initiative are serving members of the UKforces. Two are in the reserves, and one holds a purely honorary role.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Russian Language

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the (a) amount and (b) recipient name was for grants paid through the FCO-led Russian Language Programme in the latest period for which figures are available.

Sir Alan Duncan: The FCO's Counter Disinformation and Media Development Programme is designed to protect national security by countering disinformation directed at the UK and its Allies from Russia. Russia persistently uses disinformation to target its perceived enemies. An example was the Russian disinformation campaign that followed the attack in Salisbury, which was intended to distract from Russian culpability. Information about individual projects within the Programme will not be published, as this information could then be used to actively attempt to disrupt and undermine the Programme's effectiveness.

British Overseas Territories: Hurricanes and Tornadoes

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of rebuilding efforts in the British Overseas Territories as a result of hurricane damage in 2017.

Sir Alan Duncan: The UK provided £92 million in response to the damage inflicted by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, and matched public donations to the British Red Cross Appeal up to a total of £3 million.£72 million of the immediate response and early recovery funding was allocated to the UK Overseas Territories. This was managed through the cross-Whitehall Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF). The UK provided £35m for immediate humanitarian assistance and for reconstruction on Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda. The UK has also committed £19m towards longer term hurricane and disaster resilience work in the region.On 27 November 2017 the Prime Minister announced a further £70 million package of support for the affected Overseas Territories to be delivered over the next three years, supplemented by up to £300 million of loan guarantees. The £70 million long term recovery and reconstruction package is also being managed by the CSSF.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Overseas Aid

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what proportion of his Department's ODA-funded projects are listed on the Department for International Development's Development Tracker website.

Sir Alan Duncan: We list nearly all of our ODA-funded programmes on gov.uk and on the Department for International Development's Development Tracker website. Information on a small number of policy programmes is not in the public domain due to the need to protect national security and the safety and security of beneficiaries, partners or partner governments.

Department for International Development

Palestinians: Females

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 21 November to Question 191273 on Palestinians: Females, for what reason her Department discontinued funding for the Arab Women's Enterprise Fund in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Alistair Burt: From 2016-2017 DFID undertook a full examination of its programmes in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) to ensure that aid was being used in the most effective way, providing the best value for money to the UK taxpayer. One of the conclusions of the examination was to develop a stronger focus on the bilateral programme in-country over programmes managed from the UK, to ensure rigorous oversight of programme delivery and risk management, and to avoid duplication with existing bilateral programmes. In line with this decision, the AWEF component in the OPTs was recommended for closure.

European Development Fund

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what progress she has made on her Department's plans for the future financial relationship with the European Development Fund (a) beyond the current funding cycle and (b) after the UK leaves the EU.

Penny Mordaunt: The EU is currently considering merging the EDF into a broader instrument for the period of the next EU budget cycle and the UK is party to those discussions. In the future, the UK is open to contributing to the EU’s development programmes where it is in the UK and EU’s mutual interest and meets joint objectives. A condition of any future UK contribution would be that UK organisations must be eligible to implement programmes we choose to fund.

Terrorism: Finance

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many reports have been made under section 19 of the Terrorism Act 2000 of incidents where (a) charities and (b) partners of charities (i) believe and (ii) suspect that a terrorist financing offence has been committed in each of the last five years.

Penny Mordaunt: No reports of terrorist financing offences have been made by the Department for International Development under Section 19 of the Terrorism Act 2000. The Department has a zero-tolerance approach to UK aid diversion to fund terrorist activities. DFID’s funding agreements commit our partners to understand and comply with UK and international counter terrorism legislation. My department has robust measures in place which mandate our staff and partners to report all suspicions or allegations that funds or assets have been diverted to terrorist organisations.

Overseas Aid

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what regulations her Department have put in place to ensure that Official Development Assistance is allocated appropriately and does not benefit extremist groups.

Penny Mordaunt: The Department for International Development has a robust set of measures in place to protect, prevent and detect the diversion of development assistance to terrorist and extremist groups, and to ensure that UK aid reaches those for whom it is intended. These measures include rigorous controls throughout the funding cycle, from comprehensive risk assessments and monitoring requirements for all programmes, to due diligence checks on partners, and regular internal and external audits. The risk that UK aid funds could be diverted to benefit proscribed extremist groups, or terrorist groups or activities, is fully assessed as part of DFID’s risk assessment process before any funding is approved. The Department has a zero-tolerance approach to the diversion of aid to extremist and terrorist groups. DFID complies with UK and international counter terrorism legislation and our funding agreements commit partners to understand and comply with this legislation.

Syria: Humanitarian Aid

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the humanitarian relief to Syria provided by (a) Russia and (b) the Russian Orthodox Church.

Penny Mordaunt: The UK is not in a position to comment on the effectiveness of humanitarian relief provided by other states or organisations. The Russian Federation does not coordinate with major donors on the humanitarian response in Syria.

Ebola

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions she has had with the World Health Organisation on global preparedness in the event of further Ebola outbreaks.

Harriett Baldwin: The UK takes the threat of Ebola to global health security very seriously. The Secretary of State has engaged regularly with the Director General of the World Health Organisation about the current outbreak in DRC and how the UK can provide support to the response. The current response is building on previous UK investments on preparedness and health systems; the experimental vaccine used in DRC was developed with UK support after the West Africa outbreak in 2014-15.More broadly DFID is investing £40million over four years through the Tackling Deadly Diseases in Africa Programme (TDDAP) to support preparedness, detection and response work for diseases including Ebola in the countries most at risk. Our ongoing work to support WHO reform is paying dividends in the current response.

Developing Countries: Loans

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if her Department will publish the loans made by (a) the UK Aid Agency and (b) British Companies in relation to the UK's International Development Programme.

Harriett Baldwin: Official Development Assistance (ODA) is defined by the OECD Development Assistance Committee as resource flows to developing countries and multilateral organisations, which are provided by official agencies, for example the UK Government or its executive agencies. Under the definition, a total of £1,567 million of UK ODA was provided in loans in 2017. Of the total, DFID provided £21 million in bilateral loans to developing countries and £820 million for a multilateral loan to the World Bank in 2017. A non-DFID multilateral loan of £726 million was also provided to the International Monetary Fund in 2017. Details of these loans are submitted online in the Development Tracker.

Burma: Rohingya

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent estimate she has made of the number of Rohingyas who have become (a) internally displaced in Myanmar and (b) refugees in neighbouring states since August 2017.

Alistair Burt: An estimated 735,000 Rohingya have fled into Bangladesh since August 2017. Around 128,000 internally displaced people remain in crowded camps in central Rakhine since 2012. Although an estimated 250,000-300,000 Rohingya remain in northern Rakhine it is unclear how many are displaced due to lack of humanitarian access. Numbers are not available for Rohingya who have fled to neighbouring countries since August 2017.

Developing Countries: Abortion

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many of the 4.1 million abortion procedures Marie Stopes International undertook in 2017 were funded by the UK taxpayer.

Alistair Burt: DFID takes an integrated approach to our programming on sexual and reproductive health and rights in order to meet a wide range of women’s reproductive health needs - for example providing a woman with holistic care for gender-based violence, HIV, counselling, post-abortion care and information on family planning. Because these services are integrated, it is not possible to disaggregate figures solely relating to safe abortion procedures. The aim of DFID’s work on sexual and reproductive health and rights is to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions, increase the use of voluntary family planning, and give women control over their own bodies and lives.

Department for Education

Old Admiralty Building: Repairs and Maintenance

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 30 November 2018 to Question 195681, what the total cost to the public purse was of the refurbishment of Old Admiralty Buildings.

Anne Milton: The refurbishment of Old Admiralty Buildings is ongoing. Total costs are not yet known as the specification of fit out will be determined by the tenant.

Special Educational Needs

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance his Department has issued to providers of teacher training on the teaching of SEND students.

Nick Gibb: The Teachers’ Standards (2011) set out the key elements of effective teaching and the minimum expectations for the professional practice and conduct of teachers. In order to gain Qualified Teacher Status, trainees must satisfy the standards, which include a requirement that they have a clear understanding of the needs of all pupils, including those with special education needs and disabilities (SEND), and are able to use and evaluate distinctive teaching approaches to engage and support them. A framework of core content for initial teacher training (ITT) (2016) provides guidance which states that “providers should ensure SEND training is integrated across the ITT programme.” The Teachers’ Standards (2011) is available to view here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/teachers-standards. A framework of core content for initial teacher training is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/initial-teacher-training-government-response-to-carter-review.

Students: Housing

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of first-year undergraduates who do not live in accommodation sponsored by their university.

Chris Skidmore: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Pre-school Education: Standards

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his department has made of the number of children attending early years settings that are rated (a) inadequate and (b) requires improvement.

Nadhim Zahawi: This is a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her to write to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Educational Institutions: Finance

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the (a) capital and (b) revenue spending was on (i) free schools, (ii) studio schools and (iii) university technical colleges UTCs that (A) have closed and (B) were approved but not opened in each year since 2010.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Schools: Temporary Accommodation

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his Department has made of the number of children that are  being educated in temporary classrooms in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Gibb: The Department does not hold data on the number of children being educated in temporary classrooms.The Department has begun a new school Condition Data Collection (CDC), which is due to be completed in autumn 2019. The CDC will provide a high-level assessment of the state-funded school estate in England and its condition, which will help inform future funding policy.

Religion: Education

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made on the effect of changes in the level of subject funding on recruitment for Religious Education.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Government has plans to increase the level of bursaries for Religious Education studies that are under-subscribed.

Nick Gibb: The department announced in September 2018 that there will be increased Religious Education (RE) bursaries for trainees starting initial teacher training in 2019/20. The department awards a £9,000 bursary for all RE trainees with at least a 2:2 degree classification; previously, a £9,000 bursary was only available to RE trainees with a first class degree.Additionally, the department is now funding eight week subject knowledge enhancement courses in RE for potential trainee teachers who need to gain the depth of knowledge needed to teach RE.The department will review the impact of these changes over the course of this year, and the findings will inform the future level for funding for RE initial teacher training.The department will also review the bursaries and other funding that is offered to support ITT recruitment annually. We plan to announce the 2020/21 bursaries in early autumn 2019.

Pre-school Education: Finance

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what number of maintained nursery schools were in budget deficit; what the total deficit was; and what the average deficit was per school for the financial year 2017-18.

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of maintained nursery schools were in budget deficit in (a) each region and (b) each local authority area in (i) 2012-13 and (ii) 2013-14.

Nadhim Zahawi: We publish school-level revenue balances for maintained schools annually in the statistical release ‘LA and school expenditure’ at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-local-authority-school-finance-data#local-authority-and-school-finance. The number and proportion of maintained nursery schools in cumulative budget deficit in each region and each local authority area in 2012-13 and 2013-14 are shown in table 12 of the above publications.

Academies: Finance

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much has been spent on rebrokering academies in each of the last three years.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Foster Care

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many young people have taken part in the staying put programme in each year since the programme was launched (a) in total and (b) by local authority area.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average length of time young people took part in the staying put programme was in each year since that programme was launched.

Nadhim Zahawi: The latest national information on the number of children who ceased to be looked-after in a foster placement on their 18th birthday who were eligible for care leaver support and were still living with their former foster carer (‘staying put’) at age 19 and 20 are published in table F2 of the statistical publication: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018.The department has published similar experimental national statistics on those children who still live with their former foster carer at age 18 in table F4 of the same release.These figures are also disaggregated at local authority level for 2018 in the underlying data tables that accompany this statistical release. Data at local authority level for earlier reporting years is available in the underlying data tables in previous publications for 2017 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2016-to-2017.The figures for 2016 are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2015-to-2016.The figures for 2015 are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2014-to-2015.The figures for 2014 are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption--2Information on the average length of time young people took part in the staying put programme is not collected.

Students: Housing

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies on affordable student accommodation of the 3 December 2018 Huffington Post article entitled Exclusive: Cost Of Accommodation At Top Universities Soars By Up To 77% During The Past Decade.

Chris Skidmore: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Foster Care: Expenditure

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much money has been spent on the staying put programme in each year since that programme was launched (a) in total and (b) by local authority area.

Nadhim Zahawi: The total amount of funding provided to local authorities to implement Staying Put since its introduction in 2014, and the amount committed for the period of 2019 to 2020, are set out in the table below.Decisions on funding beyond March 2020 will be subject to the outcome of the next Spending Review.2014 to 2015£7.4 millon2015 to 2016£14.8 million2016 to 2017£22.2 million2017 to 2018£22.85 million2018 to 2019£23.3 million2019 to 2020£23.77 millionTotal£114.32 million Information on the share of the total funding allocated to each local authority is contained in the annual Grant Determination letters, which are published on GOV.UK. Copies of the letters for the period of 2016 to 2017, 2017 to 2018 and 2018 to 2019 are available at the following hyperlinks:2016 to 2017: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/625577/staying_put_grant_letter_2016-2017.pdf. 2017 to 2018: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/624325/Staying_Put_Grant_letter_2017-18__1_.pdf. 2018 to 2019: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/704816/Staying_Put_grant_letter_to_LAs_2018-19__.pdf. Copies of the Grant Determination letters for the period of 2014 to 2015 and 2015 to 2016 are attached in Annex A and Annex B, respectively. 



Annex_A_table_for_198939
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Annex_B_table_for_198939
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Social Services: Children

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions he has had with Ofsted on the delivery of local authority-run children’s services.

Nadhim Zahawi: Ministers and officials at the department meet representatives of Ofsted frequently to discuss the delivery of local authority-run children’s services. I last had such a discussion with Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector in November. I also meet regularly with Ofsted’s National Director for Social Care, most recently in October.

Schools: Food

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the School Food Standards permits school to sell (a) doughnuts, (b) waffles and (c) cookies to pupils.

Nadhim Zahawi: The school food standards severely restrict foods high in fat, salt and sugar. The standards apply to the overall planned provision of food and drink in schools, including during school lunches and food provided by the school at other times.Governing boards are legally responsible for meeting the school food standards and it is for schools and caterers to decide which foods to serve across the school week. Desserts are permitted when served during the school lunch service and the types of products mentioned in this question are only permitted by the standards under restricted circumstances: for example, confectionery is prohibited, and only healthy snacks, such as fruit, vegetables, seeds and nuts can be provided for food other than lunch. As part of our work on the Childhood Obesity Plan, we have committed to reducing sugar in the school food standards and officials are working with Public Health England to achieve this. Further details will be available shortly.

Physical Education

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his department has made of the potential benefits of reinstating rounders on the activity list of assessed sports for GCSE and A-level physical education.

Nick Gibb: The Department published subject content for reformed physical education GCSE, AS and A levels in England in January 2015. Both sets of subject content include a list of activities in which students can be assessed. On 24 October 2018, the Department launched a review inviting proposals to add activities to the list, information about which is available here:https://consult.education.gov.uk/gcse-and-alevel-reform/review-of-gcse-as-and-a-level-physical-education-a. The deadline for responses is 20 December 2018. The Department will consider all responses to this review, including those relating to rounders, along with Ofqual and exam boards. Decisions drawn from the review will be announced in due course.

Education and Skills Funding Agency: Billing

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many related-party transactions over £20,000 there were in the 2017-18 financial year where records are available; what resource the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) plans to allocate to sign off related-party transactions over that amount in the 2018-19 financial year; and what deadline the ESFA plans to set to sign off individual transactions.

Nick Gibb: To increase transparency and accountability, from April 2019 academy trusts will be required to declare all Related Party Transactions (RPTs) and to seek the Education and Skills Funding Agency’s (ESFA’s) approval for any worth over £20,000. Individual trusts’ accounts for 2017-18 are not due to be submitted to the Department until early 2019 and, therefore, the information on numbers of RPTs worth over £20,000 for 2017-18 will not be published. The new process from April 2019 will allow the Department to report on sector-wide RPT use, including volumes of RPTs worth over £20,000. A dedicated team has been established to administer the new process. This team will be responsible for a range of duties in terms of ensuring compliance with the approval process and ensuring approvals are dealt with, within an appropriate time scale. Guidance to support and underpin the new process will be published on GOV.UK, in advance of April 2019.

Selective Schools Expansion Fund

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of the new school places created by the selective schools expansion fund will be for children on free school meals.

Nick Gibb: All schools applying to the Selective School Expansion Fund were required to give pupils eligible for the pupil premium second priority (after the mandatory priority for looked after and previously looked after children) in their oversubscription criteria.As with all oversubscription criteria, the actual number admitted will depend on the number that apply to the school and reach the school’s academic entry requirements. Schools were required to demonstrate, through their fair access and partnership plans, the outreach work they will undertake to support disadvantaged pupil’s access their schools.

Selective Schools Expansion Fund

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will publish the applications submitted by the successful schools that will receive funding through the Selective Schools Expansion Fund.

Nick Gibb: Applications submitted by the successful schools for funding through the Selective Schools Expansion Fund (SSEF) will not be published. This is because the applications contain commercially sensitive information. However, the Department appreciates that there is a public interest in understanding what the successful schools have committed to deliver. Therefore, a summary of each successful schools’ Fair Access and Partnership Plan will be published in 2019.

Teachers

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the number of people with qualified teacher status who are no longer working in education.

Nick Gibb: The information can be found in table 22 of the publication ‘School Workforce Census in England, November 2017’ available here:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/school-workforce-in-england-november-2017.

Students: Loans

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, further to his Written Statement of 4 December 2018 on Government Asset Sale Update, HCWS1137, what the carrying value was that his Department had placed on the loans sold for £1.9 billion.

Chris Skidmore: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Students: Loans

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, further to his written ministerial statement HCWS1137 Government Asset Sale Update, published 4th December 2018, what assessment his Department has made of the total loss in future receipts in repayments from the student loans that were sold for £1.9 billion.

Chris Skidmore: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Students: Suicide

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his Department has made of the number of suicides by students in (a) further and (b) higher education in the 2017-2018 academic year.

Anne Milton: The information requested is not held centrally.However, the Office of National Statistics (ONS) release ‘Suicides in the UK: 2017 registrations’ is available at the following link: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/suicidesintheunitedkingdom/2017registrations. This provides statistics on the number of registered suicides by five-year age groups for England between 1981 and 2017. Specifically, the figures are shown in table 10 of the accompanying dataset, which is available at the following link: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/datasets/suicidesintheunitedkingdomreferencetables.In 2017, there were 155 recorded suicides for those aged 15 to 19 and 261 registered suicides for those aged 20 to 24. However, the figures are based on the entire population for the associated age groups and they do not indicate whether the suicides were among higher or further education students.In addition, the ONS release ‘Estimating suicide among higher education students, England and Wales: Experimental Statistics’ is available at the following link: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/articles/estimatingsuicideamonghighereducationstudentsenglandandwalesexperimentalstatistics/2018-06-25. This provides experimental statistics on suicides among higher education students in England and Wales between the academic years of 2012 to 2013 and 2016 to 2017. In the academic year 2016 to 2017, the figures show that there were 95 suicides among higher education students.

Classroom Assistants

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate he has made of the number of teaching assistants in (a) Gloucestershire and (b) England; how much his Department has spent on those teaching staff; and what information his Department holds on the nationality of those teaching staff.

Nick Gibb: The following table provides the full-time equivalent (FTE) number of teaching assistants and other support staff in service in state funded schools in Gloucestershire local authority and England, as at November 2017.Number of teaching assistants and other support staff in service in state funded schools in Gloucestershire local authority and England, as at November 2017 FTE Teaching Assistants[1]FTE Other Support Staff1Gloucestershire[2]2,4901,370England262,820145,270Source: School Workforce Census The School Workforce Census does not ask for information on the nationality of school employees. Salary levels for teaching assistants and other support staff are determined locally.The department publishes information on income and expenditure by schools on the Schools Financial Benchmarking website: https://schools-financial-benchmarking.service.gov.uk.This includes a category for expenditure on Education support staff, including teaching assistants, childcare staff, foreign language assistants, librarians and other support staff. [1] Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.[2] Figures for Gloucestershire exclude 6 out of 304 schools that did not provide a return for teaching assistants or support staff.

Disabled Students Allowances

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effect on the level of uptake of disabled students' allowance of the introduction of the requirement for students to contribute £200 towards the costs of specialist equipment.

Chris Skidmore: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Erasmus+ Programme

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union on the UK's continued participation of FE college students in the Erasmus+ Programme.

Chris Skidmore: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Erasmus+ Programme

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions (a) he and (b) the Minister for Skills has had with the further education sector on the UK's continued participation in the Erasmus+ programme after the UK leaves the EU.

Chris Skidmore: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Erasmus+ Programme

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on the continued participation of further education college students in the ERASMUS programme.

Chris Skidmore: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Schools: Staff

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information his Department holds on the total school workforce for the most recent period for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the change in the level of that workforce in the last academic year.

Nick Gibb: The following table provides the full-time equivalent (FTE) number of staff in service in state funded state schools in November 2016 and November 2017 in England and the number and percentage.Number of staff in service in state funded state schools in November 2016 and November 2017 in England 2016 FTE Workforce2017 FTE WorkforceChange between 2016 and 2017% Change between 2016 and 2017England957,850947,060-10,780-1.1Source: School Workforce Census

Church Commissioners

Christ Church Cathedral Oxford and Christ Church College

John Howell: To ask the Right Honourable Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what is the process for the legal separation of Christ Church Cathedral Oxford and the college of Christ Church.

Dame Caroline Spelman: The institution of Christ Church was founded as both a cathedral of the Diocese of Oxford and as a college of the University in 1546. The Statutes then conferred were revised under the 1867 Christ Church (Oxford) Act and later modified by successive Commissions in 1882 and 1926, and by various Orders of Her Majesty in Council, with major revisions in 1963 and in 2011. An Act of Parliament or a Measure would be required to legally separate Christ Church Cathedral Oxford and the college of Christ Church. There is no move to legally separate College and Cathedral.

Christ Church College

John Howell: To ask the Right Honourable Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the employment rights of the Dean of Christ Church, Oxford, are the same as those of a Dean of a stand-alone Anglican cathedral.

Dame Caroline Spelman: Christ Church Oxford is unique. The Dean of Christ Church is not subject to the same terms of service as deans of other cathedrals within the Church of England. The terms of service of the dean and the residentiary canons of the cathedral are set out in the Statues of Christ Church.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Pigmeat: Nitrates

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support the production of nitrate-free bacon.

David Rutley: There are no measures being taken to support the production of nitrate-free bacon. Nitrite and nitrates are permitted preservatives which help control microbiological growth. The European Food Safety Authority’s re-evaluation of permitted food additives concluded that existing safe levels for nitrites and nitrates added to food sufficiently protect consumers.

Electronic Training Aids

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to ban the use of electronic pet training collars.

David Rutley: On 27 August 2018, the Government announced that it would ban hand-held remote controlled electronic training collars for dogs. We are currently drafting the legislation needed to implement this ban.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Staff

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many full-time equivalent staff were employed by (a) his Department, (b) the Environment Agency, (c) the Food Standards Agency and (d) the Animal and Health Plant Agency in (i) April 2010, (ii) April 2015, (iii) April 2016, (iv) April 2017, (v) April 2018 and (vi) October 2018.

George Eustice: The full-time equivalent staff for Defra and agencies are shown in the table below;Apr-10Apr-15Apr-16Apr-17Apr-18Oct-18Core Defra 2,5582,0041,6352,1073,5393,979AH1,603N/AN/AN/AN/AN/AVLA 1,220N/AN/AN/AN/AN/AAPHAN/A2,1832,1732,1112,0952,098EA12,2829,6979,60610,1099,5009,726   The agency APHA was launched on 1 October 2014. It merges the former Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) with parts of the Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA) responsible for plant and bee health to create a single agency responsible for animal, plant and bee health.   The Department for Health and Social Care are responsible for the Food Standards Agency.

Slugs: Neonicotinoids

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the National Farmers Union on the potential increase in the number of slugs as a result of ban on the use of neonicotinoids; and if he will make a statement.

George Eustice: Ministers have not discussed the issue of a potential increase in the number of slugs with the National Farmers Union.From 19 December use of the three neonicotinoids clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam will be restricted to greenhouse crops only. The Government supported these restrictions in the light of growing evidence that these pesticides can harm pollinators.

Waste Disposal

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he the resources and waste strategy is planned to be published.

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has discussed with other Departments the inclusion in the forthcoming resources and waste strategy of funding for mandatory separate food waste collections in England; and if he will make a statement.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Resources and Waste Strategy will be published shortly. In its 2017 Clean Growth Strategy the UK Government committed to work towards no food waste being sent to landfill by 2030, and in our 25 Year Environment Plan we stated that recycling food waste is a key priority. We have regular discussions with other departments about work to support an increase in food waste collections so that the amount of food waste sent to landfill continues to decline.

African Swine Fever

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that African swine fever does not enter the UK; and if he will make a statement.

George Eustice: Defra takes the risk of African Swine Fever (ASF) very seriously. Disease in the UK would have a devastating impact on our pig industry. In response to the spread of ASF in Eastern Europe and the confirmation of disease in feral pigs in Belgium, Defra’s risk assessment level has been raised to medium. This has been extensively and robustly communicated to the industry, all pig keepers and agencies working to protect our biosecurity. Correspondingly we have further increased our disease prevention activities. Defra is continuously closely monitoring the ongoing global disease situation. EU safeguard measures stops the movement of pigs and potentially risky pig products out of ASF affected areas in Member States. Defra checks the EU data systems to verify this for consignments coming to the UK. We have taken a strong risk based approach to any product we consider may be an issue. Defra is working very closely with the Commission and other MSs, included those affected, to share ASF expertise and knowledge. Practising strict biosecurity is essential for pig keepers to protect the health of their own animals. The risk of exposure to the pig population in the UK is highly dependent on the level of biosecurity on pig premises and is still considered to be low. To ensure awareness of the pathways and their risks which could potentially introduce ASF to the UK, all administrations have been running a communications campaign supported by the pig industry and veterinary bodies. This has been targeted with messages appropriate to pig keepers, smallholders, vets, slaughterhouses, hunters and transport operators using a variety of methods. Messaging to pig keepers include that it is essential to adhere to the swill feeding ban, and practise scrupulous biosecurity practices. Another key focus for awareness is people returning from ASF affected areas to remind them that it is essential to cleanse and disinfect vehicles and equipment, and of the risks posed by personal imports of meat from these areas. Defra has robust contingency plans in place to respond to outbreaks of exotic disease such as ASF and these plans are regularly tested. The disease control measures are set out in the Great Britain African and Classical swine fever control strategy.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Tourism Ireland: Tourism Northern Ireland

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment has been made of the effect on the operation of Tourism NI and Tourism Ireland of the proposed EU Withdrawal Agreement.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Northern Ireland Protocol to the Withdrawal Agreement, at Article 13, contains a commitment that the UK and the EU will respectively maintain the necessary conditions for North-South cooperation following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. This includes tourism, which is a formal area of cooperation agreed by the North-South Ministerial Council (NSMC) under Strand II of the Belfast Agreement.The Attorney-General’s legal commentary on the Agreement made clear that Article 13 does not alter the remit or functions of the NSMC or the North-South Implementation bodies, nor does it alter arrangements under Strand II of the 1998 Agreement in any way. The Protocol acknowledges that the UK and Ireland may continue to make new arrangements that build on the provisions of the 1998 Agreement in other areas of North-South cooperation on the island of Ireland. In accordance with the position set out in the recitals, the functions and safeguards of the Assembly and the NSMC (including cross-community provisions) will be respected in full.Thus the Protocol and its recitals recognise that any new arrangements - whether expansion or diminution in areas of cooperation - are a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive and Irish Government alone, through the NSMC. The status, functions, and remit of Tourism NI and Tourism Ireland are completely unaffected.It is important also to note that the Article also does not require any application of EU law in Northern Ireland. It is therefore exempt from the specific EU supervision and enforcement provisions set out in the Protocol. Cooperation will remain a matter for two sovereign jurisdictions on the island of Ireland to decide in accordance with the respective legal regimes.The most significant effect of the Withdrawal Agreement in relation to tourism is to ensure that, under the Common Travel Area arrangements, individuals can continue to travel freely between the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland, and Ireland.

European Reference Networks

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what progress he has made in negotiations with the EU on UK participation in European Reference Networks after the UK leaves the EU.

Chris Heaton-Harris: In our July 2018 White Paper we set out our ambition to explore continued participation in European Reference Networks as part of a future agreement on science and innovation.Since then we have made progress in negotiations with the EU. The publication of the Political Declaration in November was a significant milestone, and outlined a clear vision for our future relationship with the EU, including cooperation on areas of shared interest such as science and innovation. The Withdrawal Agreement was also published in November and both documents were endorsed by EU Member States at the special European Council on Sunday 25 November. This provided clarity to industry on the terms of our implementation period, during which UK healthcare providers would be able to continue participating in European Reference Networks.The UK would like to explore participation in European Reference Networks beyond 2020 as part of detailed negotiations on our future relationship. We believe that the UK’s continued participation in these networks benefits citizens, researchers and patients across the UK and the EU, and we look forward to discussing this with the EU.

Science: Finance

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, for what reasons the EU Withdrawal Agreement does not contain information on UK access to EU Science funding beyond December 2020.

Mr Robin Walker: We have agreed the terms of our exit from the European Union, as set out in the Withdrawal Agreement. This, along with Political Declaration on the Future Relationship, was agreed by the EU member states at the special European Council on Sunday 25 November and will now be voted on in Parliament.The Withdrawal Agreement offers certainty to universities and other UK recipients of EU research funding programmes, including Horizon 2020, by providing for continued UK participation until the current programmes end in 2020, including where funding agreed before the end of the implementation period extends beyond 2020. UK based organisations and individuals will be able to bid for funding, participate in and lead consortia, until programme closure, replacing the need for the government’s existing funding guarantee.We want to build on the progress made in recent negotiations and continue to pursue a far-reaching relationship on science and innovation with the EU, which is mutually beneficial for the UK, the EU, our scientific communities, and our citizens. The Political Declaration is a significant milestone towards the future relationship, and sets out that we will establish general principles, terms and conditions for the UK’s participation in Union programmes, including on science and innovation, and wider dialogue.

Brexit

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to the publications entitled, Political Declaration setting out the framework for the future relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom and the Draft Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, what future (a) legislation, (b) directives, (c) rules and (d) other instructions the EU plans to introduce which will have an effect on the UK from 29 March 2019.

Chris Heaton-Harris: During the time-limited implementation period, common rules will remain in place with EU law continuing to apply in the UK subject to the terms set out in the Withdrawal Agreement.After the implementation period, all laws in the UK will be passed by our elected representatives in Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh and London. The Political Declaration recognises that the UK may choose to align with the EU’s rules in relevant areas to facilitate trade in goods or security cooperation.Were the backstop to come into effect, a small fraction of EU rules applying today would apply in Northern Ireland and EU rules on state aid would apply in the UK. However, as the Withdrawal Agreement and the Political Declaration make absolutely clear, we do not want or expect the backstop to be needed - and even if it ever were ever to come into effect, it would be strictly temporary.The Official Journal of the European Union publishes upcoming EU legislation, this is publicly available online: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/oj/direct-access.html.

Gibraltar

Dame Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether the recent statement he agreed with the President of the European Commission and President of the European Council, that Gibraltar will not be included in the territorial scope of agreement to be concluded between the EU and the UK (a) replaces or (b) amends the provisions of Article 24 of the Article 50 guidelines which provided for the application to Gibraltar of agreement between the EU and the UK after the UK leaves the EU; and will he make a statement.

Mr Robin Walker: The UK has not agreed that Gibraltar will be excluded from the territorial scope of the future relationship between the EU and the UK. The UK, in a letter to the EU Council, and the Council, in the minutes of the Special November Council, set out their shared interpretation that Article 184 of the Withdrawal Agreement, which concerns the UK and the EU’s future relationship, imposes no obligations regarding the territorial scope of future agreements. The UK also made clear we will only agree a deal on the future which works for the whole UK family and we will negotiate a deal that works for Gibraltar.The Article 50 Council guidelines are an internal matter for the Council in Article 50 format. Statements or actions by the EU institutions or other member states have no effect on the United Kingdom’s sovereignty over Gibraltar.On Gibraltar, we have worked constructively with both the EU and the Government of Gibraltar throughout the process of agreeing the Withdrawal Agreement. We have ensured that Gibraltar is covered by both the Withdrawal Agreement and by the Implementation Period. We look forward to taking a similar approach for the future.

Free Movement of People

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of 12 January 2018 to Question 121082, what recent progress his Department has made on securing the right of onward movement for UK nationals with status in an EU Member State.

Mr Robin Walker: The UK pushed strongly for the inclusion of onward movement rights during the first phase of negotiations on citizens’ rights in the Withdrawal Agreement, but the EU was not ready to include them.We recognise that onward movement opportunities are an important issue for UK nationals in the EU, and we remain committed to raising this issue during detailed discussion on our future relationship.

Trade: Northern Ireland

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, further to the Answer of 26 June 2017 to Question 162, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Withdrawal Agreement in achieving the Government's aim of a seamless and frictionless border between Northern Ireland and Ireland.

Mr Robin Walker: The Northern Ireland Protocol guarantees that even in the event that the UK’s future relationship with the EU is not in place by the end of the implementation period, there will be no hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland and no splitting of the UK’s customs territory. In so doing, the agreement preserves the economic and constitutional integrity of the United Kingdom, upholds the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement, and ensures people and businesses that rely on an open border between Northern Ireland and Ireland can continue living their lives and operating as they do now.

Brexit

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of 28 June 2017 to Question 250, if he will publish the agreements which will require replacement as a result of the UK’s exit from the EU.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The EU Treaties Office Database lists Treaties relating to our EU membership: http://ec.europa.eu/world/agreements/default.home.do. Not all of these treaties require action when we leave the EU.We are committed to maintaining the relationships and cooperation we currently enjoy with third countries and international organisations as we exit the EU. This is why we have agreed with the EU that during the implementation period, the UK is to be treated as a Member State for the purposes of its international agreements. We are also working with international partners to put in place successor agreements that replicate the effects of existing agreements as far as possible and which will come into force following the implementation period.We will continue to keep Parliament updated on the progress of delivering continuity of our international agreements as we prepare to leave the EU.

Northern Ireland Government

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what advice was commissioned on the implications of the proposed EU Withdrawal agreement for the operation and powers of institutions established under the Belfast Agreement.

Mr Robin Walker: Throughout the negotiations, the UK Government has been unwavering in its commitment to upholding the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement in all its parts. This is a commitment we have upheld in full in the Northern Ireland Protocol.As the Attorney-General sets out in his legal commentary, the objectives of the Protocol, as set out at Article 1(3), are to address the unique circumstances on the island of Ireland, maintain North-South cooperation, avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland, and protect the Belfast Agreement in all its dimensions.This includes the ongoing operation of the institutions the Belfast Agreement establishes. For example, Article 13 requires the Protocol to be implemented and applied so as to maintain the necessary conditions for continued North-South cooperation. But the provision does not alter the remit or functions of the North-South Ministerial Council or the North-South Implementation bodies.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Government Chief Scientific Adviser

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many meetings (a) he and (b) his predecessor had with his Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser between 1 September and 30 November 2018.

Chris Heaton-Harris: Between 1 September and 30 November 2018, the current Secretary of State met with Chris Jones, Chief Scientific Adviser at DExEU, on two occasions, and his predecessor on ten occasions. It should be noted that this is a dual role for Chris Jones, and is combined with his position as the Director of Justice, Security and Migration.

Brexit

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what contingency plans his Department has made in the event that the (a) EU withdrawal agreement and (b)Political Declaration are not approved by Parliament.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The government has successfully reached a deal with the EU and delivering the deal is its top priority.The final deal that Parliament will be voting on means that we will leave the EU in a smooth and orderly way on 29 March 2019. It sets the framework for a future relationship that delivers in our national interest. It takes back control of our borders, laws and money, it protects jobs, security and the integrity of the United Kingdom, and it delivers in ways that many said could simply not be done.Anything other than straightforward approval of the deal will bring with it huge uncertainty for business, consumers and citizens.However, as a responsible government we have undertaken extensive work over the past two years to prepare for a potential no deal scenario.We have published 106 technical notices to help businesses and citizens to prepare for March 2019 in the unlikely event that we leave the EU without a deal. In addition to these technical notices, we have already successfully passed critical legislation, signed international agreements, recruited additional staff and guaranteed certain EU funding in preparation for a no deal scenario.

Brexit

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what representations the Government has received from EU (a) officials and (b) member states on extending Article 50.

Chris Heaton-Harris: It is a matter of firm Government policy that Article 50 will not be extended and we will be leaving the EU in a smooth and orderly way on 29 March 2019. The detailed terms set out in the Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration has been endorsed by the other EU Member States.

Brexit: Northern Ireland

Mr Marcus Fysh: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, on what date the texts (a) Annex 2, (b) Annex 4, (c) Annex 8, (d) Article 6(1), (e) Article 12(1) and (f) Article 15 of the Northern Ireland Protocol in the Withdrawal Agreement were finalised.

Mr Robin Walker: Following intense negotiations on the Northern Ireland Protocol in the preceding weeks and months, the Draft Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, including all of the annexes in question, was published on 14 November and the final version was agreed at a special European Council on 25 November 2018.

British Nationals Abroad: EU Countries

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assurances can be given to UK citizens living in the EU that they will not be deported in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Mr Robin Walker: On 6 December the Government published the policy paper Citizens’ Rights - EU Citizens in the UK and UK Nationals in the EU setting out the details of our offer to EU citizens in the UK in the unlikely event of a no deal scenario. This confirms EU citizens resident in the UK by 29 March 2019 will be able to work, study, and access benefits and services as now and that. The Home Office will continue to run the EU Settlement Scheme, with no changes to the basis for qualifying under the scheme.This demonstrates the UK Government’s ongoing commitment to citizens and removes any ambiguity over their future.We are calling for EU Member States to offer the same protections to UK nationals in the EU. Some countries have committed already to do so, and we hope others will do the same shortly. We have instructed our Ambassadors to engage with EU counterparts to urge them to make the same commitment to protect the rights of UK nationals in the EU.

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of 03 December 2018 to Question 196736 on Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and with reference to the transition period set out in the Agreement on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union, if the MHRA will be recognised as an EU competent authority under EU Regulations (a) Medical Devices Directive, (b) in-vitro diagnostic medical devices, and (c) Medical Devices Regulation during that period.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The agreement of an implementation period will mean that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) will continue to be recognised as an EU competent authority designated under the EU Directives for medical devices, in vitro diagnostic medical devices and active implantable medical devices, during this period.This is also the case for the new EU Regulations for medical devices and in vitro diagnostic medical devices, which both entered into force in May 2017.

Attorney General

Brexit: Legal Opinion

David Simpson: To ask the Attorney General, whether his Department will publish the full legal advice on the EU Withdrawal Agreement before the House votes on the Motion to approve that Agreement on 11 December 2018.

Robert Buckland: A copy of the final advice that the Attorney General provided to Cabinet on 14 November on the legal effect of the Withdrawal Agreement was published on 5 December. Copies have been placed in both libraries of the House and can be found online here.

Crown Prosecution Service

Steve McCabe: To ask the Attorney General, pursuant to the Answer of 26 November 2018 to Question 194050 on Crown Prosecution Service: Staff, how many minor motoring cases were transferred to the police in the same period.

Robert Buckland: The Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 (the 1985 Act) provides that the DPP had a duty to take over the conduct of all criminal proceedings, save for specified proceedings. Specified proceedings are designated by Section 3(3) of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 and the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 (Specified Proceedings) Order 1999 (the 1999 order) and include most motoring offences which are commenced by the police in accordance with Section 12 Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980. In 2012, the following motoring offences were added to the list of specified proceedings: NoSectionStatuteOffence1.s.3Road Traffic Act 1988Careless and inconsiderate driving2.s.35Road Traffic Act 1988Failing to comply with a traffic direction3.s.163Road Traffic Act 1988Failing to stop a motor vehicle or bicycle when required to do so by the police4.s.170Road Traffic Act 1988Failing to stop, report an accident or give information or documents when required to do so The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) holds no record of the number of these motoring cases that were prosecuted by the police. The CPS does however maintain a central record of the volumes of completed prosecutions, assigned the Principal Offence Category ‘Motoring Offences’, as a count of the number of defendants. The table below shows that the number of these prosecutions has fallen between 2008 and 2018 as a likely result of the additional motoring offences having been added to the list of specified proceedings. Year Ending September 2008Year Ending September 2018Volume change% ChangeCPS Motoring Offences Prosecution Caseload379,83799,331-280,506-73.8%Data Source: Case Management Information System



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Crown Prosecution Service

Steve McCabe: To ask the Attorney General, pursuant to the Answer of 26 November 2018 to Question 194050 on Crown Prosecution Service: Staff, what other types of case were transferred to the police in the same period.

Robert Buckland: The Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 (the 1985 Act) provides that the DPP had a duty to take over the conduct of all criminal proceedings, save for specified proceedings. Specified proceedings are designated by Section 3(3) of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 and the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 (Specified Proceedings) Order 1999 (the 1999 order) and include most motoring offences which are commenced by the police in accordance with Section 12 Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980 by serving with the summons either a statement of facts about the offence or a copy of the written statements. The 1999 order also provides that proceedings cease to be specified when a court begins to receive evidence. At that stage the duty for a prosecutor to conduct the proceedings engages. Annex 1 provides the full list of offences falling within The Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 (specified proceedings) Order 1999) and including all amendments to date. During the 2008 – 2018 period the following offences were added to the list of specified proceedings as follows: Offences added in 2012: NoSectionStatuteOffence1.s.3Road Traffic Act 1988Careless and inconsiderate driving2.s.35Road Traffic Act 1988Failing to comply with a traffic direction3.s.163Road Traffic Act 1988Failing to stop a motor vehicle or bicycle when required to do so by the police4.s.170Road Traffic Act 1988Failing to stop, report an accident or give information or documents when required to do so5.s.1(1)Criminal Damage Act 1971Criminal damage where the value of the property involved is no more than £5,000 (not including arson)6.s.12Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001Consumption of alcohol in a designated public place7.s.91Criminal Justice Act 1967Disorderly behaviour while drunk in a public place8.s.12Licensing Act 1872Being drunk in a highway, other public place or licensed premises9.s.63B(8)Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984Failing to give a sample for the purposes of testing for the presence of Class A drugs10.s.12(3) and 14(3)Drugs Act 2005Failing to attend an assessment following testing for the presence of Class A drugs11.s.55 and 56British Transport Commission Act 1949Trespassing or throwing stones on the railway12.s.49Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004Knowingly giving a false alarm of fire13.s.5Public Order Act 1986Behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress14.s.11Fireworks Act 2003Contravention of a prohibition or failure to comply with a requirement imposed by or under fireworks regulations or making false statements15.s.80Explosives Act 1875Throwing fireworks in a thoroughfare16.s.87(1)Environmental Protection Act 1990Depositing and leaving litter  Offences added in 2014: NoSectionStatuteOffence1.s.1Theft Act 1968 (but only if the offence constitutes low-value shoplifting within the meaning of section 22A(3) of the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980)Theft (Shoplifting where the value of the stolen goods is worth £200 or less) 



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Wales Office

Cardiff Airport

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether his Department has made an estimate of the average number of flights each (a) day, (b) week, (c) month and (d) year between Cardiff International Airport and destinations in countries that are signatories to the Open Skies agreement.

Alun Cairns: By Open Skies agreement, we have understood the question to refer to the recently agreed Open Skies agreement with the US, which will replace the existing EU aviation agreement with the US. The deal ensures that planes flying from the UK will continue to have the same access they currently have to the US, ensuring the UK maintains its place as one of the world’s leading aviation hubs.Currently there are no direct scheduled passenger services that run between the US and Cardiff Airport.

Ministry of Justice

Electronic Cigarettes

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been convicted for selling e-cigarettes to people aged under 18 in the last three years.

Lucy Frazer: Holding answer received on 29 November 2018



Zero persons were proceeded against for sales of e-cigarettes to under 18s in England and Wales between 2015 and 2017 (most recent figures available). This information was obtained from a manual review of court case files that centrally held data indicated may be relevant, and as such has not been through the same quality assurance processes as for routinely published data. These figures relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principle offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.

Fireworks: Crime

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information his Department holds on the number of (a) prosecutions for firework offences and (b) firework-related attacks on emergency workers in the last five years.

Lucy Frazer: Holding answer received on 03 December 2018



Court data held on prosecutions summarises into specific offence categories. There is not a combined group of fireworks offences, but there are some individual detailed offences that relate specifically to fireworks for which data is available. For example, ‘Possessing fireworks etc. in, or when entering, a designated sports ground’ and ‘Throwing or firing any fireworks in or into a street’. Numbers of prosecutions and convictions for these offences are published here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/738814/HO-Code-Tool-2017.xlsx It is not possible to identify how many prosecutions involved firework-related attacks on emergency workers in the last five years within Ministry of Justice centrally held information. Detailed information on whether a firework-related attack on emergency workers was involved in the commission of an offence may be held on court record but to be able to identify these cases we would have to access individual court records which would be of disproportionate cost.

Legal Aid Scheme

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people received legal aid for (a) divorce, (b) child custody, (c) clinical negligence, (d) welfare, (e) employment, (f) immigration, (h) housing, (i) debt, (j) benefit and (k) education cases in each year since 2010.

Lucy Frazer: The Ministry of Justice has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Legal Aid Scheme

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when the Government plans to publish its review of the legal aid reforms brought in by the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.

Lucy Frazer: The Lord Chancellor has confirmed that we shall conduct an evidence-based review of Part 1 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, assessing the changes to legal aid provision against their original objectives. We intend to publish by the end of the year. The evidence gathering phase of the post-implementation review has concluded and we are currently considering the evidence submitted. During the evidence gathering phase we have engaged over 90 organisations. This process of consideration and engagement with interested parties also represents an opportunity for the Government to consider what the future of legal support should look like.

Legal Aid Scheme

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many procurement areas have (a) zero or (b) one legal aid advice provider in the area of law related to (i) divorce, (ii) child custody, (iii) clinical negligence, (iv) welfare, (v) employment, (vi) immigration, (vii) housing, (viii) debt, (ix) benefits and (x) education.

Lucy Frazer: The Ministry of Justice has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Prisons: Repairs and Maintenance

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 14 February 2018 on Question 126904 on Prisons: Repairs and Maintenance, how many outstanding (a) preventative and (b) reactive maintenance actions on the prisons estates (i) at each location and (ii) under each facilities management contract there were on 1 December 2018.

Rory Stewart: Data for 1 December 2018 is not yet available. I will write to the Rt Hon Member with the information requested once the figures can be provided and will place a copy of my letter in the Library.

Parole

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on how many occasions parole was (a) granted and (b) refused after the submission of a defence psychology report in 2017.

Rory Stewart: The information is not held centrally and could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate costs. We are carrying out a full review of the Parole Board Rules, which will build on the work we have already done to increase transparency and ensure victims are better supported.

Parole

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of enabling victims to challenge Parole Board decisions to recommend a prisoner's (a) release and (b) transfer to an open prison.

Rory Stewart: In April this year, the Secretary of State announced a public consultation on the possible reconsideration of parole decisions. The consultation closed on 28 July and we have considered the responses, including the issue of which types of parole decisions should be in scope for any reconsideration mechanism. We will publish the Government’s response in due course alongside the review of the Parole Board Rules which the Secretary of State committed to undertake this year. I have enormous sympathy for victims of crime, especially where they have been subject to the types of serious offending that often feature in parole cases. I agree that victims need a way to challenge parole decisions which they believe may be flawed without having to take the onerous step of seeking a judicial review. That is why the Government has proposed the creation of a reconsideration mechanism. We must ensure that any approach is fair and proportionate, and avoids creating unnecessary delays and uncertainty for both prisoners and victims.

Coroners

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the criteria is for families of victims to request that an adjourned inquest be resumed.

Edward Argar: Under Schedule 1 to the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 a coroner may only resume a suspended investigation if they consider that there is sufficient reason to do so. They are unlikely to do so following a criminal trial if the circumstances of the death were established at the trial. Whilst there is no formal procedure for making such a request, there is no reason why a bereaved family may not ask the coroner to resume a suspended inquest. The decision whether to do so is entirely a matter for the coroner as an independent judicial office holder.

Prisons: Crimes of Violence

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate his Department has made of the number of (a) prisoners and (b) prison staff injured in violent incidents in prisons in the latest period for which figures are available.

Rory Stewart: The latest figures for assaults on prisoners and on prison staff can be seen in the Safety in Custody summary tables at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/safety-in-custody-quarterly-update-to-june-2018. While we collect details of the injuries sustained, I regret that it will not be possible in the time available to separate those sustained by prisoners from those sustained by staff. I will write to the Hon Member as soon as the more detailed figures become available. To improve safety, we have recruited 4,300 new prison officers over the last two years, with 1,400 more due to begin training soon. We are investing an extra £70 million to improve safety, security and decency, and we are equipping officers with PAVA incapacitant spray to help prevent serious harm to staff and prisoners when dealing with violent incidents. We are also tackling the drugs that we know are fuelling much of the violence in custody. This includes spending on new x-ray scanners, drug-detection dogs, phone-blocking technology and dedicated search teams. In addition, the Government supported the recent Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act, which increases sentences for those who attack emergency workers, including prison officers.

HM Courts and Tribunals Service: Enforcement

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much was money was spent from the public purse on the cancelled procurement process for Approved Enforcement Agency service that started in August 2017.

Lucy Frazer: The total cost for the Approved Enforcement Agencies AEA procurement exercise for the period from 1.08.2017 to 30.11.2018 is £475,000.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 28 November 2018 to Question 193444 Social Security Benefits: Appeals, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on improving social security decision making to reduce the number of cases progressing to a social security tribunal.

Lucy Frazer: The Ministry of Justice has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Prisons: Restraint Techniques

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many staff were certified to conduct control and restraint at each contracted-out prison in each year since 2010.

Rory Stewart: The Ministry of Justice does not mandate staffing numbers in privately managed prisons and all staffing matters, including the responsibility for ensuring the availability of sufficiently trained and experienced staff to maintain safe and decent prisons, lies with contractors. This includes ensuring they have sufficient numbers of staff trained in Control and Restraint. Each privately managed prison has a full-time on-site Controller employed by HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). The Controller has regular review meetings with the contractor against a range of performance indicators that will reflect numbers of staff in post, recruitment, training, sickness, and attrition. Any concerns in relation to these performance indicators are discussed at these meetings. Where action is needed, progress is monitored by the Controller and escalated within HMPPS where appropriate action can be taken in accordance with the contract. This may include a requirement for urgent improvement and/or financial deductions.

Prisons: Finance

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the £10 million in funding announced by the Government in August 2018 for the 10 Prisons Project, how much of that £10 million is additional funding provided by HM Treasury.

Rory Stewart: The £10m investment funding for the 10 Prisons Project, is existing MoJ funding, prioritised at the start of 2018-19 financial year, to spend on improvements to the safety and decency of our prison estate, enhancing security and tackling drugs, and boosting leadership capability.

Prison Sentences

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people received custodial sentences in 2017; how many (a) men and (b) women among those people received a sentence of (i) less than (A) two weeks, (B) one month, (C) three months, (D) six months and (E) 12 months and (ii) over 12 months; and what the average sentence length was of those people who received less than three months.

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have received custodial sentences in 2018; how many (a) men and (b) women among those people received a sentence of (i) less than (A) two weeks, (B) one month, (C) three months, (D) six months and (E) 12 months and (ii) over 12 months; and what the average sentence length was of those people who received less than three months.

Rory Stewart: The number of offenders sentenced to immediate custody in 2017, broken down by sex and sentence lengths of less than two weeks, two weeks to less than one month, one month to less than three months, three months to less than six months, six months to less than twelve months, twelve months, and over twelve months, can be viewed in the table. The average custodial length for those offenders sentenced to immediate custody for less than three months in 2017 was 1.5 months. National Statistics on court outcomes for 2018 are planned for publication in May 2019.



Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 14 KB)

Prisons: Standards

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisons received the lowest rating in the annual prison performance ratings in each year since 2010.

Rory Stewart: Prisons performance statistics are published annually.The performance ratings for 2010/11 can be found via the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/218350/prisons-annual-performance-ratings2010-11.pdf The published data for 2011/12 to 2017/18 can be found in the latest publication of prison performance ratings, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/prison-performance-ratings-2017-to-2018We have committed to spending £30m to make improvements to the safety and decency of our prison estate and address the drivers of violence in prisons. We will do this through enhancing security and tackling drugs and continue our programme of decency upgrades. This latest investment is on top of the £40m announced over the summer, meaning a total of £70m is already being directed to tackling drugs and violence, and improving the basic conditions of our prisons.

Prisons: Crimes of Violence

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of the funding allocated to his Department in Budget 2018 will be used to tackle violence in prisons.

Rory Stewart: The Ministry of Justice has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Prostitution: Prosecutions

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people were prosecuted under section 51A (soliciting) of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 in each year between 1988 and 2018.

Lucy Frazer: The number of people prosecuted under section 51A of the Sexual Offences Axes 2003 for the years 2010 to 2017 can be viewed in the table. Data is provided from 2010 onwards as section 51A was inserted into the Sexual Offences Act 2003 by the Policing and Crime Act 2009 and as such did not come into effect until 1 April 2010. Therefore, 2010 is the earliest year for which data is available. National Statistics on court outcomes for 2018 are planned for publication in May 2019. This data relates to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When an offender has been dealt with for two or more offences at the same time the principal offence is the more serious offence.



Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 9.69 KB)

Prisons: Restraint Techniques

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many staff were certified to conduct control & restraint procedures at each of the contracted-out prisons in each year since 2010.

Rory Stewart: I refer the Honourable Member to my response to 198897.

Police Custody: Death

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many deaths in custody were labelled as non-natural deaths in (a) each year since 2010 and (b) each month since January 2016.

Rory Stewart: Figures showing the number of deaths from various causes, broken down by month and year, can be found in the Deaths Data Tool at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/safety-in-custody-quarterly-update-to-june-2018. Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service uses the following classifications for cause of death:natural causes;self-inflicted;homicide;other / non-natural; andawaiting further information (where the cause of death is not yet known - as more information becomes available these cases will be reclassified as having been from one of the other causes).All those deaths that are not in the first and last categories are considered to be non-natural deaths. It should be noted that the HMPPS system for classifying deaths is used for administrative and statistical purposes, and that it is a coroner’s statutory duty to determine the cause of death in each case through the inquest process. The Government takes very seriously its responsibility to keep prisoners safe, and we are committed to reducing the incidence of non-natural deaths across the estate. This is why we have established a prison safety programme through which we are taking forward a comprehensive set of actions to improve safety in custody.

Prison Officers: Recruitment

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many additional prison officers have been recruited since October 2016; and how many of those officers have served for (a) six months, (b) 12 months and (c) 18 months.

Rory Stewart: Between 01 October 2016 and 30 September 2018, there were 9,184 band 3-5 officers recruited in HMPPS. Table 1 below shows the breakdown of length of service of these officers.  Table 1 - Number of band 3-5 prison officers1 recruited from 01 October 2016 to 30 September 2018, by length of service2  Headcount of band 3-5 officersLess than 6 months3,0756 to 12 months2,87912 to 18 months1,904More than 18 months1,326Total 9,184  1 Includes Band 3-4 / Prison Officer (incl specialists), Band 4 / Supervising Officer and Band 5 / Custodial Managers.  2 Length of service is calculated from the hire date to either the date they left, or to 30th September 2018 if they are still in post. If an individual left and re-joined within the period, they are only counted once and a total length of service across the period has been calculated for the individual. These figures, therefore, do not reflect continuous service.

Prisons: Standards

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the announcement entitled, Minister announces 10 Prisons Project to develop new model of excellence, whether his Department has established an office to oversee that project.

Rory Stewart: The ‘10 Prisons Project’ was launched on 17 August, with the aim of making a real difference in a group of challenging prisons within 12 months. Fundamentally we want to create – through training, clear expectations, and good management – a culture which supports and respects prisoners, whilst challenging poor behaviour and reducing violence. These 10 sites will then serve as models of excellence for the rest of the estate to follow. To support that, we have set up an Operations Room in the Ministry of Justice to chart progress in each of the jails, with staff from the headquarters of the Ministry and Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service supporting prisons and driving the work forward.

Fraud

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when his Department plans to publish its response to the call for evidence on extending corporate liability for economic crimes that closed on 31 March 2017.

Lucy Frazer: The Ministry of Justice carried out a call for evidence on corporate criminal liability for economic crime in 2017, to establish whether further reform of the law was necessary. The response is expected to issue in due course.

Young Offender Institutions: Suicide

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate his Department has made of the number of suicides in Young Offenders Institutes.

Rory Stewart: The Government publishes quarterly statistics on deaths in prison custody and a more detailed annual breakdown, and both are available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/safety-in-custody-quarterly-update-to-june-2018 The number of self-inflicted deaths in each establishment, including each young offender institution, can be seen in table 1.16 in Deaths in Prison Custody 1978 to 2017. However, as many establishments are designated as both prisons and young offender institutions, this does not reveal how many of the deaths were of young offenders. The number of self-inflicted deaths by age can be seen in table 1.6 of the same spreadsheet.There were three self-inflicted deaths of young offenders aged 18 to 21 in 2017, the lowest number since 2012, and there have been no self-inflicted deaths of young offenders aged 15 to 17 since 2012. The Government takes very seriously its responsibility to keep prisoners safe, and we are committed to reducing the incidence of self-inflicted deaths and self-harm across the estate. This is why we have established a prison safety programme through which we are taking forward a comprehensive set of actions to improve safety in custody.

Criminal Injuries Compensation

Victoria Prentis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to page 21 of the Victims Strategy, published in September 2018, what progress has been made on abolishing the rule of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme which denied compensation for some victims who lived with their attacker prior to 1979.

Edward Argar: The Government is planning to abolish the so-called pre-1979 “same roof rule” from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme. Under this rule, a compensation award cannot be made for a criminal injury sustained by a child or adult before October 1979 if, at the time of the incident giving rise to that injury, the applicant (as a child or as an adult) and the assailant were living together as members of the same family. We will be laying an amended Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012 before Parliament in due course. The amended Scheme will remove the pre-1979 same roof rule. Importantly, it is intended to enable victims whose applications for compensation had previously been refused under this rule to reapply. Applicants will still need to meet all the remaining eligibility criteria within the Scheme.

Cabinet Office

Immigrants: EU Nationals

Priti Patel: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate his Department has made of the number of EU nationals who will migrate to the UK in each of the next 10 years.

Chloe Smith: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 04 December 2018.The correct answer should have been:

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.


UKSA response 
(PDF Document, 66.71 KB)




UKSA response 
(PDF Document, 76.06 KB)

Chloe Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.


UKSA response 
(PDF Document, 66.71 KB)




UKSA response 
(PDF Document, 76.06 KB)

Immigrants: EU Nationals

Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent estimate he has made of the number of non-UK EU citizens residing in the UK.

Chloe Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA response 
(PDF Document, 70.92 KB)

Pay

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the change was in average full-time salary levels in (a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland between 2007 and 2017.

Chloe Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply and their response will be placed in the Library.



UKSA Response
(PDF Document, 29.08 KB)

Families

Ruth George: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many and what proportion of families in each of the constituent parts of the UK have (a) three, (b) four and (c) five or more dependent children.

Chloe Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA response 
(PDF Document, 74.48 KB)

Strategic Defence and Security Review

Nia Griffith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if his Department will carry out a Strategic Defence and Security Review in 2020.

Mr David Lidington: No decision has yet to be made on the timing of the next Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR)

Local Government: Internet

Jo Platt: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment he has made of the number of local authorities utilising a protective domain name system.

Mr David Lidington: There are several commercial Protective DNS services available alongside the one provided by the NCSC. We do not hold the figure on how many Departments use these commercial providers and can only provide information for those using the NCSC offer. 143 UK local authorities are actively using NCSC’s Protective DNS service with a further 91 going through the onboarding process. GSG and NCSC are actively working with local authorities to adopt the use of the Protective DNS service.

Electoral Register

Cat Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to section 8 of his Department's policy statement, Proposals for reform of the annual canvass, published on 5 October 2018, how his Department defines potential electors.

Chloe Smith: Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) sometimes have information to indicate that a person is resident at a given address but is not yet registered to vote at that address. Such people are pending or potential electors. The information indicating that an elector is resident at an address could have come from various sources. For example, it may have been provided by the potential elector themselves, if they have applied to register to vote but their application has not yet been determined. Alternatively, their name might have been added to a Household Enquiry Form returned to the ERO as part of the annual canvass. Or the ERO may have obtained information from local data sources, such as council tax records. Individual citizens can only be added to the register once they have completed an application which allows the ERO to determine their eligibility.

Electoral Register

Cat Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to section 9 of his Department's policy statement, Proposals for reform of the annual canvass, published on 5 October 2018, how the Behavioural Insight Team has been involved in communications and the design of registration forms.

Cat Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to section 9 of his Department's policy statement, Proposals on reform of the annual canvass, published on 5 October 2018, what assessment his Department has made of response methods to Household Enquiry Forms in order to improve appropriate messaging and encourage responses.

Chloe Smith: The Electoral Commission (EC) has responsibility for designing registration forms, which are subject to the approval of the Minister for the Cabinet Office following consultation with the Scottish Ministers in respect of forms for use in Scotland and the Welsh Ministers in respect of forms for use in Wales.We are working closely with the Electoral Commission on the implementation of canvass reform. Canvass reform will lead to new requirements for canvass forms. We understand the EC intends to undertake user testing on the new forms, with a view to making sure the forms are as clear as possible for the citizen.The Electoral Commission has worked with the Behavioural Insight Team on certain forms of registration correspondence. Information is available here: https://www.behaviouralinsights.co.uk/trial-results/improving-the-annual-electoral-canvass/EROs are free to offer a range of ways to respond to a Higher Education Framework. Currently, many EROs offer text message, online and paper-based response methods. As part of canvass reform, we intend to with EROs and the Electoral Commission to make sure it is as easy as possible for citizens to respond to requests for information from their local ERO.

Electoral Register

Cat Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to section 9 of his Department's policy statement, Proposals for reform of the annual canvass, published on 5 October 2018, what steps the Government plans to take to increase registration in the number of attainers; and if the Government will reinstate a separate section for 16 to 17 years olds in the Household Enquiry Form.

Chloe Smith: The Government is committed to building a democracy that works for everyone. Throughout 2018 we have taken steps to promote democratic engagement amongst young people in particular, including attainers. By making use of the Suffrage Fund, we have delivered three specific projects. These are the Democracy Ambassadors Scheme to recruit and train youth democracy ambassadors, the development and publication of a toolkit for parliamentarians to engage young people and a new secondary schools resource (www.suffrageresources.org.uk). Our Register to Vote website is widely used by young people: over 7.3 million online applications have been submitted by 16-24 year olds since 2014. The Electoral Commission (EC) has responsibility for designing registration forms, which are subject to the approval of the Minister for the Cabinet Office following consultation with the Scottish Ministers in respect of forms for use in Scotland and the Welsh Ministers in respect of forms for use in Wales. We are working closely with the Electoral Commission on the implementation of canvass reform. Canvass reform will lead to new requirements for canvass forms. We understand the EC intends to undertake user testing on the new forms, with a view to making sure the forms are as clear as possible for the citizen.

Electoral Register

Cat Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to section 7 of his Department's policy statement, Proposals on reform of the annual canvass, whether the Government has assessed the potential merits of naming individuals such as landlords, concierge and management companies as responsible officers that are mandated to provide Electoral Registration Officers with details that are required in order to send through an Invitation to Register form to residents.

Chloe Smith: The Government is currently analysing the responses to our consultation, from Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and others. As part of this we are considering the range of responsible officers that could be required to provide EROs with information to facilitate registration.

Electoral Register

Cat Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his consultation on proposals for the reform of the annual canvass, what steps he is taking to put in place (a) an effective year-round registration process and (b) longer-term plans for electoral registration reform.

Chloe Smith: The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone who is eligible to vote is able to do so. Online registration, introduced in 2014, has already transformed the way many people register to vote by making it easier, simpler and faster. This can be done online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote in as little as 5 minutes. Three quarters (75.2%) of the over 36 million applications to register to vote since June 2014 were made online and the user satisfaction rate with the website is consistently more than 90% We keep the registration system under review at all times, especially with a view to its modernising. In doing so, we work closely with a wide range of partners such as the Electoral Commission, the Association of Electoral Administrators, the Scottish Assessors Association and SOLACE (Society of Local Authority Chief Executives).